Year of the Wiggler
by superblooper
Summary: Secrets, stars, love, and politics. Peaceful times in the Mushroom Kingdom allow Peach to focus on her personal life while Star Spirits conspire to grant her the wisdom to choose her destiny. BowserxPeach, LuigixDaisy and others.
1. Peach Has a Good Morning

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. Sparrows flew across the bright, blue sky as the sun warmed the bricks in the courtyard where Princess Peach was sitting, enjoying a tall glass of fresh juice. _What a lovely day_. Just what she had been longing for, a day with no stressful events or royal duties, a day where she could wake up slowly, throw on her fluffy pink bathrobe, and enjoy the morning sun.

"Princess?" Toadsworth called, emerging from behind a particularly large and fragrant gardenia bush. "Ah, Your Highness, there you are. I see you haven't dressed yet, have you forgotten about today's outing with your dear cousin?"

Peach smiled. "No, I haven't forgotten, I only thought I might enjoy a peaceful morning and get a little sun. Do you have the time?"

Of course, Peach had not forgotten. She had been looking forward to a girls' day out with Daisy for weeks.

"Of course I do, dear girl, it is presently 10:43 AM; the Princess of Sarasa Land is expected to arrive promptly at noon."

"I guess I had better begin getting ready then! Hm, what do you suppose I should wear?" Peach asked as she turned to go inside the castle.

"Ah." Toadsworth stalled, appraising her questioning face in attempt to decide if Peach was actually requesting assistance or was merely making conversation. "At this point, Your Highness, I must concede that I know next to nothing about women's fashions. However, I do trust that whatever decision you make, you will look simply fetching, as always." With a bow, Toadsworth exited.

* * *

Princess Peach opened the doors to her tall, wooden wardrobe and declared loudly to herself "Today, I shall wear -- pink!" She picked out a light summery gown in a soft pink and her most comfortable heels, and then turned on her shower. As the water heated and she stepped in, she thought fondly about her cousin, Daisy. Nearly three months had passed since Daisy had come to visit from her eastern island kingdom and Peach was very excited to see her again. _Ooh, coconut shampoo, I love my maids!_

After a while, Peach emerged from her shower, dried and styled her hair, and applied just a hint of makeup. She walked down the stairs looking dewy, feeling refreshed, and smelling lightly of coconut. She heard joyful conversation in the dining room; it seemed her uncle and Daisy had already arrived.

"Peachy!" Daisy rushed her cousin to pick her up in an exuberant embrace, eliciting a small sigh from the King of Sarasa Land, who was all too aware of his daughter's unladylike mannerisms. "Oh Peachy, I missed you so much! It's been forever, how have you been? Oh, we're going to have so much fun today, I can't wait!"

In stark contrast to Peach, Daisy always wore her heart on her sleeve and was extremely excitable, often prone to bouts of rapid-fire speech. Growing up with Daisy, Peach had become accustomed to her colloquialisms, but it was always such a shock to see exactly how much mischief her uncle would let Daisy get away with. Daisy's extreme belief in freedom of expression was a large part of what made being with her so enjoyable.

Peach smiled brightly. "I've been doing well and I've really missed you too. I'm so glad you were able to make it though, because I could really use your help."

"Oh yeah? What's the deal?"

Peach explained, "My annual charity soiree is supposed to be in three weeks and I've been too busy to pick out a dress or do anything yet."

"Oh wow, that _is_ really important! Alright then, leave it to me, we'll find you something that looks super fabulous." Daisy turned to her father who was busy talking jovially to his brother, the King of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Dad?" No response.

"Dad." Still no response.

"_Daaad! _Can we leave yet? Peachy and I are gonna need all the time we can get!"

The King of Sarasa Land turned around to face his impatient daughter and waved his hand in defeat. "Daisy, my sweetheart, you know you may do whatever you please but could you _please_, please, just for one day, act like a princess and ask me properly?"

Peach giggled in the background as Daisy scrunched up her face and stuck out her tongue before straightening up and reciting in a mockingly proper voice, "Dearest Father, King of the fair and great kingdom of Sarasa Land. May I be permitted to escort my dearest cousin, the most esteemed and lovely Princess Peach, to the nearest shopping facility so that we may partake in the stimulation of the Mushroom Kingdom's economy at the expense of Sarasa Land's treasury? We would so very much like to purchase all those great many things that fill out hearts with rapture and joy, which knows no bounds."

The King of Sarasa Land gave a mighty shrug and a small sigh. "So long as it makes you happy, my dearest and _only_ daughter."

* * *

The carriage slowed to a stop at the bustling, newly opened Mushroom Mall. Don Pianta, who owned and operated the mall, was the head of the Pianta mob in Rogueport and mastermind of several business endeavors, including the hugely successful Coconut Mall on Delfino Island. Two Mushroom guards saluted as the princesses exited the carriage. Security, naturally, was a little tighter than normal to ensure the safety of the princesses.

Daisy thought aloud, "So, let's see, today we're going to need to find you a dress, some shoes, maybe some jewelry, or some new makeup?"

A guard graciously opened the tall, glass double doors as they approached.

"Thank you," Peach said kindly. Once inside, Peach looked around dreamily, taking in all of the sights and sounds. There were rows of elegant, upscale stores, each one boasting displays of clothing and shoes that were even more fabulously fashionable than the next. Surrounding them were various groups of trendy Toad girls carrying large shopping bags and texting all of their friends on this season's hottest "it" phones. Peach smiled slightly self-consciously; those girls were not much younger than she was. Perhaps if she did not have so many royal duties she could be doing something similar. She turned to Daisy. "Well, I guess we've got a lot to do. Where should we go first?"

"I feel like we should go find your dress first, I mean, that's the most important thing. I'm thinking you should go for something totally bold and couture, you know, mix it up a little!"

"Maybe, but I'd still like the dress to be very elegant and very classy because the charity soiree is also one of my most important political events. There will be several representatives from various kingdoms and I would like to make a good impression. I was thinking I might get something from Vera T. She designs some of the finest gowns in all the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Oh please, not that stuffy old place! Vera T. wouldn't know fashion if it slapped her old wrinkled face with a Kremling handbag. Look, Peach, _Chantoad's_ is over there!" Daisy exclaimed, pushing Peach toward a store. The front entrance was flocked with violet curtains and spotlights, as if it were the entrance to a runway or a red carpet. "You're still young and beautiful! I don't think it's fair that you should have to be so conservative all the time, so how about something with a little panache?"

"Hello, welcome to Chantoad's." The waif-like Toad at the register greeted them apathetically without taking her perfectly lined, glittery eyes off her fashion magazine. "Our senior stylist will be with you in one moment."

"Oh, wow Daisy," Peach looked around at the art-deco mannequins wearing all manners of outrageous fashions, "I'm not sure this place is for me."

"Hello!" sang the flamboyant senior stylist as he sauntered over to the princesses, his pink, silk shirt ruffling. "Oh, my! Daisy, lovely to see you, as always, _and_ you've finally brought me your cousin. Oh, what a treat, I've waited so long for this! My, oh my, she's even lovelier in real life! Her shape is just perfect for these gowns, it's like she was born to wear them!"

Peach smiled, but before she could open her mouth to thank the Toad, he continued, "But darling, let's get real here, it's time for a change. I mean, the dress you're wearing is lovely, oh my yes," he giggled, "for someone twice your age and half your status." He thrust a bundle of green silk into Peach's arms as she stood, completely stunned. "Well, what are you waiting for, my darling? Get thee into the dressing room, my intuition is never wrong, your destiny awaits!"

Moments later, Peach pulled back the violet curtains of the dressing room, scanning the room for the senior stylist who, she was relieved to find, was busy "helping" another client.

"Oh Peachy, that dress looks amazing on you!"

"Hm, I do like the cut, but I really don't know about this color. Maybe it'd look better in, I don't know, maybe blue, yellow, or uh -- pink." Peach spun in front of a tri-paneled mirror admiring herself. The dress was certainly very pretty, the vivid green silk shimmered in the light, and the off-the-shoulder neckline was especially pretty with a golden double leaf brooch, the Chantoad logo, in the middle.

"No way, don't even start, that color is fantastic on you! Besides, no offense, but don't you get tired of that same old shade of pink?"

"Not at all, I love pink, it's my favorite color!" Peach smiled and tactfully decided to overlook Daisy's affinity for what Peach considered "the same old shade of yellow."

"Listen, you're getting that dress in green, because I want you to. It's good to step out of your comfort zone occasionally, have your daily dose of change. Anyways, something about that color just makes me smile." Daisy fluttered her long eyelashes.

Peach giggled. She was obviously referring to Luigi and his favored color.

"So what about you, Peach? Is anyone making you smile? Anybody special?" Daisy asked teasingly as Peach turned to go back into the dressing room.

Caught off guard, she stammered, "I--I don't know, to be honest." Peach was thankful that Daisy could not see her blushing from behind the curtain. "I've, well, I've really been so busy lately that I'm afraid I've completely neglected my feelings about _those_ sorts of things."

"Oh please," Daisy rolled her pretty, blue eyes. "I don't buy that, not for one second. What about Mario?" she asked bluntly.

Peach poked her head out of the curtains. "Mario? Well, he is a very sweet and noble man."

As of now, Peach and Mario were little more than friends, despite some very prevalent rumors.

"To be honest, I really like him, I enjoy being around him, and I feel a lot of affection for him. It's just…" Daisy looked puzzled and Peach continued, "even though he comes around pretty often, I don't really know him that well, and I'm not sure I could see myself, you know, developing a further relationship with him. I mean, if we ever got married or anything, I don't know what I'd…" Peach blushed deeply at that thought of a wedding night with Mario.

Upon realizing what Peach was saying, Daisy burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Oh, please stop Daisy, it's really not funny!" Peach pleaded.

Daisy giggled. "I'm sorry, but yeah, I can definitely see what you mean. You know what though; I think I know just the thing to make your heart flutter!"

Peach stepped out of the dressing room in her regular dress. "You do?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, if you can't find a guy to make you happy, you can just do what you want and make yourself happy. How about it?"

Peach giggled. "Sounds like a plan."

"Speaking of making yourself happy, look at that fabulous ring over there! You should totally get it; it's so you!"

Peach looked over the ring; it was quite impressive. It had a large, round-cut pink diamond with unusual sparkle and fire and a masterfully crafted gold base. The only thing more astonishing than the ring itself was its price tag. Imported from some land Peach had never heard of, the ring commanded a small fortune, even for her.

"Hm, I'm not sure if I'm ready to take your theory that far! Toadsworth was just speaking to me about the importance of being fiscally responsible. Somehow, I doubt my people would think highly of such luxury, even for a princess. It really is very beautiful though, isn't it?" asked Peach with a tinge of regret.

"Sure is! Well, we'll just put it down on your wish list then, right? Ah, you're always so nice and considerate, Peachy." Daisy sighed thoughtfully. "I'm sure there are tons of guys who have huge crushes on you and you don't even know! Let's hurry up and pay so we can hit Starbeans, I'm just dying for a latte!"


	2. Bowser Has a Bad Morning

**A/N: I am still trying to figure out a good system of update distribution, but I wanted to introduce Bowser right away. Is one disclaimer at the beginning of the story enough to assure everyone who is reading that I do not own any of Nintendo's wonderful characters? If not, there's another one.

* * *

**

It was a muggy, cloudy Sunday in the Darklands. Birds were chirping frantically as they hurried to build shelter from the impending summer thunderstorm.

"Do I look like a member of the stinkin' Audubon Society? Take a hike, you worthless winged rodents," muttered the Koopa King as he dragged himself out of his bed, carefully stepped into his shell, and trudged downstairs and into the dark and empty dining room.

"Where is my _food_?" he bellowed into the empty kitchen. A faint echo of his own voice and the sound of quivering pots and pans were the only replies he received.

_Ugh, right, the stupid cooking staff is off until tonight, restocking and training or something stupid like that._ Bowser sighed and rolled his eyes as he stomped up the red, carpeted stairs to the meeting hall. Flanking him on either side were many pictures of himself in various poses and a few pictures of his children as well. _Lucky brats_. He pictured all eight of them sleeping soundly in their beds.

The kids had been so happy when they came back from boarding school for their summer vacation. Every Koopaling had something impressive to share. Larry was beginning lessons on how to breathe fire, Morton brought home some paintings of Bowser squishing Mario, and Wendy said she might get an internship at Koopa Couture Magazine. The twins directed the school's variety show, Roy was an honorary hall monitor, and Ludwig had once again received the highest academic honors in the school.

The coming autumn would be Junior's first year at school. Although Bowser would never admit it, he was a little sad to see his youngest already at school age, but he felt it was important for his children to receive an education outside the home, somewhere they could "beat the learning into the little twerps". However, in actuality, the school's campus was almost as nice as their home castle, due in large part to generous grants from Bowser.

As Bowser reached the double doors, his mind snapped back to his current task. _Why do my idiotic minions schedule these things on the weekends?_ Bowser rubbed his growling stomach.

He opened the golden double doors and entered the lavishly decorated meeting hall. _Smells like bacon._ He eyed the leftovers of the chief financial adviser's breakfast. _Why does everyone get to eat but me_?

As the Koopa King entered, all the advisers and minions leaped to their feet and bowed in reverent silence as he made his way to the end of the hall.

"Yeah, yeah, get on with it, let's make this quick," Bowser growled impatiently as he took his seat.

At this, the head of the Koopa environmental committee scurried to the front of the room carrying several large charts. In his hurry, the Shy Guy tripped over his own robe and fell face first, scattering important documents across the floor. Embarrassed, he risked a glance at the Koopa King, who was sitting in his chair at the head of the long wooden table, strumming his claw with a decidedly unimpressed expression on his face.

"Um, you see, Your Highness," he started, picking up various graphs from the floor to display. "Recent geographical surveys have shown that the massive amounts of air pollution have been causing local crop failure. This air pollution is probably due, in part, to the recent boom in production companies and factories."

"So, obviously, we just need to raise taxes on all of the companies involved," the Koopa King said quickly.

Kamek started, "But my liege, forgive my ignorance, but it is not so obvious to me. Wouldn't raising taxes on those companies reduce the kingdom's productivity and hurt--?"

"We're doing it to raise funds for a cleanup program. No stupid company is going to get away with polluting my kingdom without paying for it. Besides Kamek, it's not like we're going to lose more productivity by raising taxes that than we do around here by answering stupid questions from Koopas who speak faster than they think," snapped Bowser. "What's next?"

"Your Highness," Kammy replied. "Princess Peach is having a charity soiree in three weeks at the Mushroom Castle."

"So what?" Bowser retorted. "It's not like I'm invited or anything. Next!"

Although he wished to seem unconcerned by events at the Mushroom Castle, all his advisers knew he secretly longed to hear any news regarding Princess Peach. Despite his previous mood, Bowser felt content as his mind drifted off to thoughts of Peach.

_Peach; she's so beautiful, so amazing._ He loved the way her voice sounded, and how her deep blue eyes always reflected her soft and caring nature. He loved how her golden hair was bouncy, shiny, and always smelled so good. Most of all, he loved how she was so gentle and kind. She was even kind to him to a certain extent, despite the fact that he always made trouble for her. He imagined what it would be like to dance with her at her charity ball, holding her softly in his claws while she smiled at him and only him.

Meanwhile, the advisers were passionately discussing which brand of hand soap they would purchase for use in all government buildings.

"Get the one without all that perfume junk in it; I smell good enough as it is. I don't want to smell like 'lavender fields' all day long. Oh yeah, and make sure it's moisturizing, I'm sick of people running around here with rough scales," Bowser said absently. "Next!"

_One day, I'm gonna be with her forever. I'm gonna make her see how great I am, and how she's meant for me, and I'm meant for her, and how we-- The_ thought of "we" describing him and Peach sent shivers down his spine. Of course, he was not the only one to feel that way. The entire kingdom knew about, and was incredibly tolerant of, his rather unorthodox target of affections. Many Darklandians hoped, almost as desperately as he did, that one day she would find the good in their king and agree to marry him. In some ways, hoping for Peach to become queen of the Darklands was a matter of patriotic national pride; not to mention, Princess Peach was a favorite topic of Darklandian celebrity gossip columns.

However, more than anyone except Bowser himself, the Koopalings wished endlessly for Peach to come live in the castle. Bowser Jr. summed it up best of all when he said, "I wouldn't pull her hair, or tease her, or nothin'. If Mama Peach came to live with us, I would play with her and bake a cake for her every day!"

_But she has her fat little plumber and, for whatever reason, she's in love with him and not me. _The thought of Mario holding and kissing his sweet princess was enough to send him into a jealous rage. The more he thought about it, the more the thought consumed him until finally he stood up from his chair, right in the middle of Kammy's speech about the economy.

"My Lord is something the matter?" Kammy asked.

"Yeah, you know what? I just can't deal with this right now. I need some King Koopa time. This meeting is dismissed!" With that, Bowser stormed out of the meeting chamber leaving behind his very shocked and confused advisers.


	3. Plots & Plans

**A/N: My apologies that these horizontal rules keep getting scrambled up, hopefully everything will be in order this time. This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I feel it's time to inject some plot! I hope you'll enjoy and please leave me a comment or two; I appreciate reading them very much.

* * *

**

Peach smiled happily as she and Daisy sat on the pink, fluffy rug on the floor of her bedroom. She hugged her favorite Buzzy Beetle plush and its round plastic eyes bulged slightly from the fabric, all the years of love it had received since Peach's babyhood had worn and discolored the plush considerably. A couple of Peach's closest attendants were hovering around the princesses with anticipation to hear the ideas for this year's charity soiree.

"Alright everybody, I've decided that this year's theme will be a Midsummer Masquerade! I've already talked to some florists who are willing to donate enough flowers to fill the castle, but we're going to need so much more than that. Any ideas?"

"I know a couple of freelance Magikoopas who can really make some amazing magical decorations," Daisy chimed in.

"That sounds great. I think I'll hire Tace T. again for the catering this year, she does fantastic work, and she's such a sweetheart," Peach beamed. "And I'm thinking about having the talented youth program from the University of Goom perform as our band for the evening. I know they'll do a wonderful job and it'll reduce our costs as well. I want as much money as possible to go to the cause."

"This is going to be so exciting; I think this will be the best soiree ever!" Daisy said in-between bites of Peach's famous pink cupcakes. "So, who's gonna accompany you?" she asked with her mouth half full.

Peach flushed. "Uh, well, I suppose I was thinking I could always bring Mario," she said. "But, I'd be a little embarrassed asking. I mean I'm planning to have a very romantic setting."

Daisy laughed. "Well, maybe you ought to give him a chance Peach. After all, he's always taking chances to save you."

"Hm, I guess you're right, as usual. I'll think about it," Peach smiled. "When did you get so wise?" she teased.

"I was born that way!" Daisy grinned. "Oh, but speaking of saving you, we should really make sure we have extra security around at the party. We don't want any party crashers, especially not you-know-who."

* * *

Meanwhile, Bowser flew above his kingdom in his Clown Car, desperate to get away. Bowser always felt he could be a much different Koopa when he was on his own. Alone, he had no pressure to be anybody's king or to impress anybody beside himself. When he was not posturing about in his usual manner, Bowser could be surprisingly deep and introspective; one might go so far to say he was sensitive, if one had no objections to death by wickedly hot flame breath. As green grass and treetops rolled by him, his mind was full of thoughts of his sweet Princess Peach. In particular, he recalled one night when he had kidnapped her; he found her reading his diary. He was quite upset with her at the time, but he also felt elated that she might be curious about him, even in the slightest.

"She must have been curious about my life and my feelings; I mean, I guess I can be a pretty mysterious guy," he spoke aloud to himself, trying to reassure himself and preserve his fragile ego by drowning out the negative voices in his head. _She probably just wanted to help that plum scum Mario so she could get away from me as fast as she could_. The Koopa King breathed a big sigh.

_She is so awesome, so nice, and so smart, how can she __**not**__ see how I feel about her? _He glared at the setting sun, which was peeking out from behind some clouds, as if it were keeping the answer from him.

_Maybe she knows and doesn't care_. The thought was so poisonous to Bowser that he immediately dismissed it with a growl and willed himself instead to think of the Mushroom charity ball. He thought again about dancing with his sweet little princess, his claw delicately wrapped around her tiny waist. He would be so gentle with her, never daring to grasp her hand with more than just a finger or two. He thought about her beautiful, blue eyes looking directly into his, seeing only him as they whirled across the dance floor.

After the dance, they would go into the courtyard and she would sit next to him, by the fountain under the moonlight. They would look into each other's eyes and she would slowly lean forward to kiss him. The thought of that first magical kiss filled Bowser with such longing that he wanted to fly his Clown Car to Peach's Castle right then and proclaim his love for her.

_But, of course, that would never happen for me. She has her precious Mario and, because of him, I'm never gonna be anything more than a monster to her. _Bowser growled; it seemed to him that his dream of being with Peach was slipping further and further away by the moment.

"Why can't she see how awesome I am? Why does there have to be so much 'maybe' when it comes to her? Why are there so many 'whys'?" he roared aloud, "This is so stupid. Ever since I met her, a single thought can turn me into a weepy, blubbering idiot. I am a king. I am _the_ king. I can have anything and everything I want, except her. I hate that; I hate that so much. And I hate Mario; I hate him and his stupid ugly mustache. I think I'm going crazy; I need help. I need her. I…" His voice trailed off has he drew a deep breath. "Damn it, I am a mighty Koopa of action and I _will _do something about this."


	4. To Impress Nobility

**A/N: Ack, I'm a little late on this, so sorry. I'm beginning to realize why writers, artists, and other creative people typically lead such disheveled lives. Quality work is time consuming and when you love what you do, you tend to get inspired and try to neglect everything else! Of course, that's pretty incompatible with finals and life in general. In any case, summer is almost here, so I should have plenty of time for writing. In any case, I hope you enjoy what I've got here so far, I really do take everyone's comments and critiques to heart, thanks for helping me improve my story.

* * *

**

Two weeks had passed since Peach's weekend get-together with Daisy and now with the event only a week away, the princess was knee-deep in party planning duties.

"Tace, is it possible to make an extra batch of the cake for Gourmet Guy? I've received a personal request from him; he's really looking forward to it."

The small and sweet Toad bobbed her head in affirmation and took note of the princess' request. The whole kingdom was eager to support the princess and the community. Many of the Mushroom Kingdom's local businesses would offer as much as they could afford to give, often working around the clock, to help make the charity event a success.

"Toadsworth, um, I don't want to be a bother but, could you bring me another glass of water? I'm feeling a little off," Peach asked with a distressed look on her face.

"My dear girl, I will gladly bring you some water, but I think it's high time you got some rest, you are clearly exhausted!"

"Oh, but I have so much work to do, it's not right for a monarch to sleep on the job."

"Your Highness, you have already gone above and beyond the call of duty, you are most certainly deserving of a few winks of sleep. You have a full week left before the event and, I assure you, the work will be waiting for you when you wake up tomorrow morning. I simply cannot imagine a greater disappointment than having the annual soiree without our dear princess because she's gone and worked herself into illness."

Peach rubbed her dry and tired eyes, "You're right, as always, Toadsworth. It's probably unwise to make any decisions this late at night anyhow," she said, giving a wistful glace to the ticking grandfather clock to her right.

"Goodnight, Your Highness," said Toadsworth, motioning for the attendants to move the already drifting princess to her room.

* * *

The giant stone clock tower peacefully tolled three soft notes to the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Three in the morning," said the Koopa King to himself.

The night air was warm and still as the stars above burned brightly in the dark, moonless sky. Bowser was nervous, he had never kidnapped the princess so spontaneously before. In the past, kidnappings had been the result of several months of planning with his advisers' guidance. This time, however, he had told no one of his plans, partially because a concrete plan was exactly what he lacked.

Bowser sighed as he gazed upon the rose he had picked to give to the princess. Half of its lavender petals were missing as the result of an embarrassing struggle-turned-wrestling match to remove the rose from a rather uncooperative bush. Reminding himself "it's the thought that counts" seemed particularly stupid, given the circumstances. He felt his stomach grumble uneasily, from both nerves and hunger. In his tumult, he had forgotten about eating all together. He raked his claws against the rim of the Clown Car nervously. At last, the clock tower he was watching hit 3:15 and Bowser slowly piloted the Koopa Clown Car towards the Mushroom Castle.

Meanwhile, Princess Peach had just drifted into an uneasy sleep, seating charts and wine lists racing through her subconscious. Suddenly, she was awakened by a pair of tiny hands on her arms, frantically shaking her and a small voice urgently whispering, "Your Majesty, please wake up! Princess, please!"

"Toadette, what's the matter, is there another problem with the menu? Did something happen to the decorations?" Peach asked in a desperate voice

"Worse, Your Highness! The Koopa King is here for you again! We need to move quickly!"

Peach's body went numb with dread. _Of all the days he could have picked to attack, why did he have to pick such a critical time?_

"Please Princess, hurry to the secret passageway," called Toadette, tilting a candelabrum perched on the mantle to open a secret passageway in the wall.

The princess grabbed her faithful Buzzy Beetle plush and moved to descend the stone steps of the passage when she heard large footsteps followed by the sound of her beautiful wooden door splintering beyond repair.

Despite the Toads' best attempts at moving the princess' room to a secure location, Bowser never had any trouble finding Peach when he came to her castle. As Bowser claimed, he could "track her glorious fragrance to the ends of the earth" were he required to do so.

Peach let out a scream followed by a sharp gasp as Bowser caught her in his claw, picked her up roughly, and then turned to put her in the Clown Car. The Toad guards tried to stop the mighty king, but he knocked them away as easily as if they were beanbags. He hopped into the Clown Car and flew away with the princess into the inky night sky.

As the Clown Car rose into the sky, the Mushroom Castle appeared smaller and smaller until it was only a bright dot on the horizon. Bowser was full of pride, excitement, and adrenaline as he felt the warm wind rush through his wild mane; however, he felt something was odd or different about the situation, but could not decide what exactly it was. Now out of range of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser slowed the Clown Car to enjoy more alone time with the princess. To him, the night seemed magical, nothing to see but blackness and stars, nothing to hear except the wind rushing by and the soft hum of the engine and propellers. That is when Bowser realized what was different: the princess was not screaming.

He turned to offer her a soft pink blanket and saw that she was sitting in the bottom of the car, holding her side and sniffling. Bowser felt a sudden lurch in his stomach and he clicked on the autopilot. He knelt to see if she was okay, and gently took her shoulders in his arm and moved her hand off her side. He was horrified to discover the delicate fabric of her soft pink pajamas had been torn and stained red and that her perfect skin had a long but shallow graze. He had hurt her. It was nowhere near serious, but he had hurt her nonetheless and he hated that thought more than any other thought in the world. Her shoulders were tense and, for the first time since they met, he saw a look of fear when he looked into her beautiful, blue eyes.

Feeling too wretched and guilty to say anything, he slowly removed his arm from her quivering shoulders and, avoiding eye contact, gently placed the blanket over her, and then resumed piloting the car. They continued to travel in relative silence, occasionally punctuated by a small sniffle from Peach, until they reached Bowser's Castle.

Bowser roared in his bedroom, breaking all manner of precious heirlooms against the granite walls.

"How could this happen?" Bowser roared angrily. Although Bowser had always been a major source of trouble for the princess, he had never given her any reason to fear him. Even when the two faced off on Vibe Island, he was really only playing with her. He wanted her to feel more powerful and independent, because his guards had told him of the anguish her feelings of helplessness caused her. "Now she's really never going to think of me as anything more than a brutal monster," he said while crushing the lavender rose in his fist. He recalled the look of terror when he found when their eyes met. _Now how am I ever supposed to look into her eyes again_?

Burning with self-anger, embarrassment, and guilt, he climbed into his bed and tried to shut out the world.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle was the guest room where Princess Peach was receiving medical treatment. The beautifully decorated room had a Star Road theme and many first-rate amenities. The enchanted dark blue walls twinkled with stars and covering the bed were the finest linens and silks that coins could buy. On this bed, Princess Peach was lying face down in silent tears, while a Magikoopa in a pretty, white robe and a cute, young Boo tried to console her.

"There now, your little scrape should be all healed up by now Princess, please don't cry," the Magikoopa said softly.

"Why shouldn't I cry? I've been taken, _once again_, from my home and everyone who loves me by a _monster _who seeks to hurt me and take over my kingdom!" Peach exclaimed vehemently.

"Oh, Your Highness, you shouldn't say those things!" insisted the Boo, "You can't truly believe that you've been taken from everyone who loves you. I mean, what about Kin--"

The Magikoopa gave the chatty boo a sharp glace and continued, "your, ah, Buzzy Beetle, it's very cute, where did you get it?"

"Oh," Peach sniffled and hugged the plush. "I've had this since I was a baby. It was a present from one of my subjects."

"Does it have a name?" The Boo asked politely.

"I just call him Buzzy."

All night, Peach continued to chat with the Magikoopa, Kamea, and Kitty, the Boo, about all manner of things, never once mentioning Bowser. It was a relief to the princess to be able talk about something other than the minutiae of the charity ball, and she was thankful that the two girls, unlike most of Bowser's subjects, seemed disinterested in matchmaking.

"And so all the proceeds are going to build a park in the Mushroom Kingdom?" asked Kamea.

"Yes, and if we can collect enough, we'll be able to add amenities to the park, such as a tea house, a friendship garden, and maybe even a lake for boating! I mean, we really haven't raised enough to do those things yet, but Toadsworth came up with the excellent suggestion this morning to offer a prize to the philanthropist who donates the most."

"Ooh, I love prizes! What's the prize?" asked Kitty excitedly

"Well, whoever donates the most will have the park named after them and will have the fountain dedicated to them and shaped in their likeness. Isn't that neat?"

"That sounds great Princess! Who's winning so far?"

"Right now, Gourmet Guy is the likely candidate. After all, the cost for the buffet is a hundred and fifty coins per plate and, historically, he has been known to order at least a dozen plates, but we still have a week left and several attendees have not yet stepped forward to make their contributions."

Peach smiled at the thought of little Toad children climbing on a fountain shaped like the large and plump Shy Guy. Gourmet Guy would certainly have to be in charge of selecting the various drinks and sweets served in the teahouse, if they could manage to build one, of course. Suddenly, a loud ruckus from downstairs interrupted Peach's train of thought.

"Oh poop," said Kitty. "Mario Brothers."

"Oh," said Peach, unhappy to be reminded of her current situation, but still very grateful for her impending rescue.

"We must leave you and fight for our king now," Kamea said with regret. "Good luck with your event Princess, I'm sure we'll be seeing you again sometime soon."

"Please be careful," said Peach as her new friends exited and the door slid shut.

* * *

Mario ran up the marble steps, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He jumped on one Goomba, then two Goombas, and continued running up the stairs. He could not explain it but the thought of meeting Bowser in combat again just made him feel alive. He probably could have gone and found the princess and avoided a direct confrontation with the Koopa King, but this seemed so much more rewarding. As he neared the great black double doors leading into Bowser's bedroom, he smiled to himself and equipped a Fire Flower. The burning sensation in his legs from the run up the stairs was most gratifying. Mario let out a yell and kicked the black doors open.

* * *

Bowser was upset. The torches in his room burned with a dull glow as he thought about his actions and his carelessness. Most of all, he thought about how upset with him Peach must be. He had only wanted to be with her, but somehow he managed to mess up and now he knew that damn plumber was on his way.

_How can I make her see how cool I am_? His mind began racing with ridiculous images of himself impressing the princess with various talents that, in reality, he did not have. A yell and a crash interrupted his thoughts.

_And now, the porky plumber has arrived._ Now, it was too late to apologize to Peach. He rolled off his bed with a sigh and looked over the plumber briefly. _Short, fat, hairy, and ugly. What does she see in him?_

Mario, being a man of few words, began attacking immediately. He leapt upon Bowser dealing many blows and striking him with multiple fireballs. Bowser did precious little to defend himself, feeling with every blow that he was getting exactly what he deserved.

Although Mario's attacks were moderately effective against the Koopa King, Mario was still, strictly speaking, no match for Bowser. At any time, Bowser could have easily picked him up and snapped his spine like a twig. Catching him might have presented a bit of a challenge, but Bowser had certainly had his opportunities in the past. Despite the extreme hatred Bowser felt for Mario, Bowser did not have a murderous heart and would not harm him in this manner; mostly because he knew how upset Peach would be if she lost her "precious little boyfriend". Therefore, every battle between the king and the plumber went the same way. The foolish plumber would never give up because he believed that he was engaged in a fair fight and eventually the Koopa King would simply concede defeat before Mario could injure him too badly.

After the fight, Mario left the room to find Peach. Bowser sighed, his body and ego slightly bruised.

_I am a mighty Koopa. I will lose the stupid battle--again; but eventually, I will win this war._ He limped over to the window to see his angel running away from him, holding his enemy's hand. _Somehow._ He let out a long growl. _Ugh, why can't that idiot just get a life or something? Doesn't he have anything better to do than ruin all my awesome plans? _"Listen up, Stars, and grant my wish. I wish for Mario to suffer, plain and simple. I wish that he would suffer just like I do; I wish that he would lose his friends; I wish that he would love some girl and she would break his heart; and I wish that everything he tried to do to make his life better would go _wrong_. In short, I wish that fool would get exactly what he deserves."

He watched Peach run, trying to keep up, with Mario leading the way._ Why isn't that moron waiting for her?_

He watched her hair blow in the wind and wished it were him she was running away with. Then, he noticed what she held in her other hand, it was somewhat discolored and worn, but she was holding it. Upon seeing this, for the first time since he had brought Peach to his castle, he felt happy again.


	5. Shall We Dance?

**A/N: I've been working on this story (without posting) for a good two or three years now. It's sort of strange for me to post and revisit all of this stuff I wrote while I was finishing high school. I guess what I'm trying to say is, for however long this story is on FF, I've written about 100 more pages that are just sitting on my hard drive, and if you're nice, I'll share them with you. =) (And **_**once again **_**the lovely line-break feature is messing with my spacing, please excuse any technical difficulties.)

* * *

**

Peach sat down in front of her vanity looking distantly at the colorful array of powders and rouges before her. The green silk dress felt comfortably cool against her skin. As she slid her hairbrush though her thick strands of golden hair, she was nervous and excited. The time for her charity ball was drawing nearer. She pulled her hair up into a golden clip covered in pearls and began to put on her makeup. The late afternoon sun cast a golden light over her room where it came in through the sheer curtains. The princess put a dash of green powder on her eyelids and carefully lined her eyes with a dark black ink. _Everything must be perfect._ She applied rose to her cheeks.

As expected, Mario had asked her to accompany him at the ball. Daisy's words echoed in her head: "Just give him a chance."

The sun dropped behind the hills as the princess wondered at the irony of slipping gloves over her finely manicured fingers. She put on her heels and, before she left her room, she applied one spray of her lucky perfume, an enchanting mix of jasmine and vanilla. Tonight would be a night to remember.

Mario and Luigi looked at each other in the mirror.

"You look good, bro," said Luigi with a smile.

Mario nodded in gratitude, his suit feeling uncomfortably stiff. Although he did not want to admit it, he was feeling hot and uncomfortable for more reasons that just the suit. He was worried about the evening. Peach had seemed so happy when he had asked to accompany her to the ball. He knew she would need someone to go with and he was not one to ignore a well-placed suggestion from Toadsworth, but he was not sure about his feelings.

_The Prime Minister has made so many suggestions regarding marriage to the princess in the last few years. I've seen everything the princess has to go though and I'm not sure I could handle a life in politics._ _Then there's Peach. She's really beautiful and nice enough but…I'm not sure I can really be myself with her._

"You feel okay? You look a little sick," said Luigi with a concerned frown.

Mario gave a nod accompanied by a look that suggested otherwise.

"Ah, bro, you shouldn't worry so much. I'm sure everything will be fine, and you'll get to spend the whole evening with Princess Peach."

Luigi thought happily of his relationship with Princess Daisy. They first met at the Mushroom Castle. At first, Luigi had been too shy to initiate more than an introduction. Luigi smiled as he thought of how he would break into a cold sweat every time Daisy would glance at him from across the table and wink. He knew she was a bold and sassy princess but he found out that she was really something special after his second week of knowing her when, after they won a doubles tennis match, she rushed over and gave him a tremendous kiss, completely ignoring how sweaty they both were. After recovering from a "love-induced lapse of seeing, hearing, and general consciousness," he was overjoyed at Daisy's insistence that they were now an "official couple".

Mario grabbed his mask off his nightstand and heaved a great sigh, resolved to put his worry out of his mind. "Let's go." he said, and walked out the door with his brother.

* * *

Bowser strummed the table impatiently as his television flickered and urgently informed him of the best way to keep the colors of his linens from fading.

"If I have to see this damned commercial one more time, I am going to personally crush the promotions director of the company," he growled aloud.

Bowser had been watching the Mushroom Kingdom news all day, hoping to get a glimpse of the activities surrounding the charity ball, or perhaps to see his beautiful princess all dressed up. So far, all he had learned about was how easy it was to microwave Mush 'n' Cheese and that, somewhere in the kingdom, a local Toad had rescued a kitten from a tree. A few feet away from the mighty king was a giant saucer with a puddle of half-melted ice cream with a ribbon of chocolate sauce drizzled over it and a few emptied boxes of Koopa Kookies sitting on their sides. He saw the sun going down and knew the ball was about to start.

* * *

Peach took a deep breath. She could hear the low din of many guests waiting in the courtyard outside the castle, awaiting her formal invitation to enter. Toadsworth gave her a polite nod to urge her to proceed with her speech when ready. She drew a deep breath and stepped outside of her castle onto the low balcony. The sea of people just below was always a dizzying sight. Right away, she spotted Gourmet Guy, Daisy, Luigi and, of course, Mario. She felt a sudden lurch of anxiety in her stomach and noticed a news camera Lakitu hovering about. She cleared her throat and began her speech.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for attending the 36th annual Mushroom Kingdom Charity Soiree. I'd like to invite you all at this time, to put on your masks."

She paused as the crowd briefly became noisy with rustling and low chatter, and resumed when all were quiet.

"As you know, the proceeds of this event will benefit each and every citizen with access to a brand new park. Without further ado, please enter and enjoy the party."

Peach smiled as the crowd met her speech with polite and sincere applause. It was far from a great speech, but she was content that it would suffice. As she descended the steps into the ballroom, she placed her green and gold mask upon her face. The ballroom looked even lovelier than when she had left it that morning. The entire room looked like an enchanted forest, with foliage covering every wall and beautiful strands of light weaving across the ceiling. In one corner of the room, the orchestra was playing a soft and elegant waltz, and in another part of the room was a glittering fountain that flowed with a delicious bubbling pink punch. She turned to the buffet table to see Mario, Luigi, and Daisy.

"Oh hello, how are you enjoying the party?" Peach asked

"Oh Peachy, this is amazing!" Daisy replied enthusiastically. Peach thought her yellow, feathered mask made her look a bit like a glittery canary on Mardi Gras. "Where on earth did you find this sushi, it's heavenly!"

"Oh, I'm really glad you like it, could you even guess that it's vegan?"

"What? No way, this totally has Cheep-Cheep in it!" Daisy exclaimed.

"I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the food here, and apparently veganism is becoming a real trend in the Mushroom Kingdom, so it's actually Vegi-Cheep."

"Whatever it is, I want seconds! C'mon Luigi, let go eat so we can get to dancing!" said Daisy, dragging her shy boyfriend away by the arm.

Mario and Peach looked at each other awkwardly. For once, Mario did not feel like eating; an uneasy sensation was building in his stomach. Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken by a very excited Gourmet Guy rushing the buffet, eager to "sample" a little of every dish on the table.

"Oh, Princess, this buffet is marvelous, fantastic, and earth-shatteringly good."

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself Gourmet Guy. I hope you'll enjoy the dancing as much as you're enjoying the food!" Peach replied warmly.

"Princess, if I enjoyed anything else half as much as this wonderful food, I would think I had died and gone to the great buffet in the sky."

"Princess Toadstool!" cried a small Toad wearing a white jacket and a black bowtie, "Princess, it's time for you to officially start the dancing."

Peach smiled at her mustached friend. "Well then, shall we dance?"

Mario nodded happily, and they took their places on the dance floor. It was a somewhat awkward sight to see Mario and Peach dancing as, in her heels, Peach was at least a head taller than Mario was. When the crowd gathered to watch the first dance of the evening, the orchestra began a louder and more regal waltz. Peach was pleasantly surprised at how graceful and adept Mario was at his waltz. As they spun and twirled around the room, the lights lowered and a few other couples, including Daisy and Luigi, began to join in.

As Peach finally relaxed, she looked gently into Mario's eyes and saw him staring into the distance. When he turned his head to meet her eyes she looked away quickly, her cheeks fire red. She was embarrassed to think he might have seen her looking at him that way.

She was, and had been lonely for quite a long time and he was the nicest man she had ever known. She was disappointed to feel that, even dressed in her finest, she was seemingly unable to attract attention from Mario, or any other potential suitor for that matter.

_Mama mia, what was with that look she was giving me? I think--I think she really likes me. What am I gonna do?_

When the waltz finally ended, Peach smiled politely and excused herself to go chat with some important guests. _Mama mia._ Mario headed the opposite direction to look for his brother.

* * *

The large serving plate trembled as if issuing a warning to its holder that if it so desired, it could tip and spill every last drop of food it was carrying all over the marble steps. The size of the tray dwarfed the already tiny Koopa Troopa who was carrying it. The Koopa King had locked himself in his room all day watching television, so there was really no telling what sort of mood he would be in when the servant finally reached his bedroom.

_E--everything is going to be fine, I'm going to open the door, put the food down, and leave. _At last, he reached the giant, black double doors. He heard the dull sound of the newscasters from Bowser's television, and he heard another noise too: humming. _His Majesty is humming, certainly that must mean something good._

He knocked on the door gently. Once, twice, three times he knocked and waited. The Koopa King opened the door quickly, startling the poor Koopa Troopa. He took the food, muttered something that sounded remotely like a thanks, and then closed the door again. _Well, that certainly could have gone worse._

Inside his bedroom, Bowser was still perched in front of the television. Things were going well so far. He had seen his eloquent Peach giving a speech, a panel discussion on her pleasantly surprising fashion choice for the evening, and now he just had to wait a little longer. He began to hum again, some unnamed tune that made him feel happier just hearing it. He stuffed a Koopa dumpling in his mouth.

_I can't wait to see the look on that dumb plumber's face.

* * *

_

It was getting late and Peach was sitting on her throne, her feet hot and aching from all the dancing. She glanced at the clock, only five more minutes until the ending speech, announcement of the winner, the champagne toast, and then the end of the event. She watched the clock intently as a distraction from her throbbing feet. How nice it would feel just to remove those pinching, uncomfortable shoes for only a few minutes, yet, how inappropriate and unladylike. Stars forbid anyone saw or, worse, _smelled_ that she had taken them off. Luckily, Toadsworth removed any temptation from her mind by interrupting her thoughts.

"Ah, my dear Princess, it is time for the closing speech and declarations and whatnot, come come."

_Finally!_ She winced slightly as she stood up and made her way to the podium with Mario by her side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Peach spoke softly into the microphone. "I am greatly honored that you have all come from so far away to be a part of this momentous occasion. It is heartwarming to see the level of dedication and generosity of both individuals such as yourselves, and the businesses that have donated everything that you have enjoyed tonight. It is with great pride that I tell you this evening, we have collected enough coins to not only build a magnificent park for the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom, but also enough coins to cover all of the amenities that we had originally planned for the park and more."

At this point she stopped for loud applause and cheering. Mario briefly grasped her hand in congratulations, causing a small flip in her stomach.

"Um, I would like to offer many thanks to all of those who have donated their time, money, and effort for this event. At this time, I would like to announce the Mushroom Kingdom's philanthropist of the year, who will be bestowed the honor of having the park named after them, and the park's central fountain carved in their image."

A hush fell over the audience as a Toad guard handed her a thick blue envelope with his eyebrows raised in a nervous expression. Peach smiled at Gourmet Guy in the crowd, who was still busy with a full plate of sushi. The Lakitu cinematographer zoomed in for a close-up while Bowser waited on the edge of his bed with an eager grin. Peach opened the envelope slowly and gently, smiling. As she read the words written in a scrolling dark blue script, the color drained from her face and her smile turned to a look of confusion.

"Um, apparently, I--I mean, according to this, uh, statement, the philanthropist of the year is--King Koopa?"

The audience emitted a collective gasp, followed by an uproar of gossip and chatter. The Princess and Mario stood in silence, stunned. Toadsworth was immediately busy interrogating other Toads, investigating for a prank or some sort of mistake. Bowser grinned with ridiculous pride. It had taken a lot of coins and a lot of espionage to beat out that tubby traitor; but he had helped make the princess' dream a reality, and now he was sure there would be no way for her to forget it. His triumphant roar echoed through the walls of the castle and comingled with the sound of cheering from every Darkland inhabitant.


	6. Winds of Change

**A/N: I know it's difficult to imagine one of those crisp and windy Autumn mornings in the middle of June, but do your best. I'm way early on this story now; I've just been so excited about posting. I'm currently looking for suggestions on minor characters to include later on in the story. If you have any favorite minor characters that you'd like to see later on, review/PM me about it (and yes, Koopalings are already forthcoming and will be featured prominently in later chapters.)** **Also, anyone familiar enough with copyright law to know how often I have to declare that Nintendo owns all of these characters and that I don't? Thanks for the great reviews everyone, they make me smile and want to post more (hint hint!)

* * *

**

Orange and brown leaves shaken loose by the morning wind blew around and crunched under the princess' feet. A bit of sun began to peek through the gray morning fog. Two months after her charity event, she stood on the outskirts of the brand new park, wearing a casual but attractive pink dress appropriate for light outdoor activity. The construction of the park had taken next to no time, given the large amount of funding behind the project. Today, she had come to aid in planting the friendship garden. Every monarch was to personally plant a flower or bush to symbolize the lasting peace and friendship between the nations.

As she entered the gates of the protected park, she saw many happy Toad children playing on the field and play structures. She saw a few small boats on the lake in the distance, and in the middle of the park, she saw for the first time, the fountain that featured Bowser, the Mushroom Kingdom's philanthropist of the year. She sighed and shook her head.

_I worked so hard to plan this park as a place of tranquility and happiness, only to have a giant Koopa statue placed in the middle of it. I should have never told his servants anything; he probably did this just to spite me._

It was odd to see the small Toads climbing up the spikes on the Koopa statue's back. She enjoyed hearing the Toads squeal with delight when the fountain would open its mouth and shoot a great "fireball" of water. Michaelangetoad, the sculptor hired to create the fountain, had done an excellent job making the statue of Bowser look both regal and kind. The sculptor had used light gray granite for the body and cut red glass to look like rubies for the eyes.

Peach shook her head again. _The sculptor certainly did wonders for what he had to work with.

* * *

_

"Hurry _up_, Kamek! I've seen frozen Snailicorns that move faster than you!" Bowser whined impatiently, stamping his foot.

"I beg your patience sire; this is a very complex spell."

"You're going to make us late and I'm the number one celebrity today!"

"There, I am finished. Does it please you, My Lord?" asked Kamek

"Oh yeah, now _that's _what I call a plant!" said Bowser while looking at the bush Kamek had created. It was about the size of a small tree with dark green leaves and flowers that looked like burning flames. "So this thing won't ever wilt?"

"That's correct, My Liege; and there will never be another bush exactly like it," said Kamek with pride.

"Excellent," Bowser said as he leaped out of the Clown Car with his trusted adviser. He strutted through the gates and into the beautiful Koopa Park. Bowser smiled with pride. He had helped make all of this. As his eyes scanned over the park, _his park,_ his stomach fluttered when he saw the princess staring up at the statue of him. He had not spoken to her since the night he kidnapped her. The hot sting of guilt flooded his body again.

_Ugh, can't let that bother me forever, it was an accident, I didn't mean it, and I swear it will never happen again. Gotta be strong, man, be the king._ The determined Bowser tiptoed behind Peach.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he cooed softly into the princess' ear.

Startled by the sudden low voice, Peach nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around to see to whom the voice belonged and was terrified to find Bowser's scaly face so close to her own. Seeing the fear in her face shook his confidence, but Bowser still managed to make light of the situation.

"Don't worry Princess; I'm not here to kidnap you this time. See, I'm here to plant something." He held the plant out and gave it a little shake.

The princess did not seem relieved.

"The friendship garden is for the political friends of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser." Peach replied angrily with her arms folded tightly across her chest.

"Politically speaking, Princess, we are friends. I mean, I don't attack your kingdom, now do I?" Bowser asked playfully.

"I _hardly_ think that abducting another kingdom's monarch for your own political gain is considered friendly activity, _do you_?" Peach retorted coldly.

Bowser's smile faded and he became thoughtful. _She thinks I kidnap her for some political reason?_ He almost laughed aloud. _My mighty army is brawny enough to take over her entire kingdom any day of the week. Peach; so cute and so naïve._

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you that it has absolutely nothing to do with politics?" he asked softly.

"I--I don't know what you mean Bowser," Peach said, placing her hands on her hips. "And frankly, I don't care to know what you mean. This is a public area and as a gesture of peace between our kingdoms, you are permitted to plant your--shrub, but please, stay away from me."

With that, Peach turned on her heel and walked briskly toward the garden where the other monarchs waited.

Bowser turned to Kamek. "Wow! Heh, that was pretty cold coming from Peach," he said, an amused expression covering the sting he felt from her words.

"She called it a shrub, Sire," Kamek whined with an expression of hurt on his face.

Bowser still could not believe Peach honestly thought he had political motivations to kidnap her. _I guess I'll need a new strategy in this little game_. As he mused, he heard bells in the distance heralding the start of the planting ceremony. After a few short speeches from the Prime Minister and a few other Mushroom officials, it was time for the monarchs to begin planting.

Among the many royal guests was Princess Daisy of Sarasa Land, carrying a miniature tree with golden leaves and a faint scent of root beer. Also among the guests was the Yoshi Elder's eldest son, who came bearing a shrub with large red berries.

Despite Peach's request, Bowser wasted no time in choosing a plot of soil next to hers. Peach sniffed in annoyance as she caught sight of Bowser sitting in her peripheral vision.

_Always the cat and never the mouse. That's about to change right now._ He turned his back to the princess and feigned deep concentration on digging a hole in which to place his plant.

Dusting the dark fragrant soil from her hands, Peach turned to grab her sapling and noticed Bowser had his back to her. Most of the other royals were chatting happily with one another. Surely, the interpretation of this blatant lack of communication would be one of further instability in the two countries' relationship. Peach flushed, ashamed that she had let her personal affairs disrupt her duties as an ambassador of her country.

"Um, Bowser," she said, cautiously poking his left shoulder. "Um, could I, uh, borrow your spade?"

"Yep, sure thing _Princess_," he muttered gruffly, passing the spade over his shoulder without looking back at her. His shoulder tingled where she had touched it; however, he knew he had to maintain his feigned indifference.

Peach accepted the spade with heightened anxiety. Certainly, something was wrong; he had never spoken to her in such a gruff manner before. She recalled her conversation at the fountain._ Perhaps I've offended him. I suppose it was a little harsh and not at all dignified or welcoming to our philanthropist of the year._ She grimaced with shame as a voice in her head reminded her that he was still a foreign sovereign, a powerful one with which the Mushroom Kingdom could not afford to make enemies.

Peach sighed as she finished planting her sapling, a willowy tree bearing lovely pink flowers, which resembled lotuses and smelled strongly of nectar. Determined to right the wrongs she had done, she walked over to Bowser with small steps. The Koopa King was trimming unruly leaves off his plant when he heard the princess' footsteps behind him and smiled to himself.

"Bowser," Peach started softly, "Thank you for your generous contributions to the kingdom. I am very pleased you could make it today, it has been--a great pleasure."

Bowser struggled to maintain a straight face as he turned around to look into her troubled, blue eyes. _It's amazing; she's even cute when she's worried._ He gathered every ounce of willpower in his body to retain his cold and distant façade. "It was my pleasure Princess; I hope our kingdoms can continue to enjoy peace and prosperity through virtue of _cooperation_"

Peach was in a fog as she bid farewell to the other royals. Bowser's cold tone and words had shaken her. It seemed that through her irresponsibility and negligence, she had placed an important alliance with the Darklands in jeopardy.

Princess Daisy hugged her cousin tightly "Let's get together again soon, okay? I need to get some time outside of the castle, _someone_ is driving me nuts!" said Daisy quietly, motioning to her father, the King of Sarasa Land.

"Of course, you know that you're welcome to come by and visit anytime," Peach said absently.

As Daisy left and the crowds dispersed, Peach found herself in a pensive mood. "Toadsworth," she called, "I'm going to go visit the tea house for a while. I haven't seen it since it opened for business."

"A capital idea, Your Highness. Yes, it seems quite proper to show your patronage to that fine establishment. Whenever you are ready to return to the castle, we are, as always, at your command."

Peach shivered as she began her short walk down the path to the teahouse. The gray clouds had long since covered the afternoon sun and the wind had begun to pick up, indicating an impending storm. The mushroom-shaped teahouse looked so cozy with steam coming from the chimney, which stood atop the red, speckled roof. Princess Peach gingerly crossed the bridge, which arched across a small stream in front of the teahouse. As she opened the door, a friendly jingle of bells and a rich, floral scent of tea greeted her.

_I feel better already._ The warmth coming from the stove met the chilled skin of her bare arms.

"Oh, Your Highness, what an honor! Please, come have a seat and warm yourself!" said a female Toad with a green hat. "You seem a little blue, Princess; may I recommend our relaxing and rejuvenating golden blend?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you, may I also have a cinnamon bun?"

"Oh mercy me, dessert before dinner? It must have been a very stressful day for you, Princess," said the Toad kindly. "I'll fetch the tea at once."

Peach looked out the window and saw rain falling on the dirt paths outside. She briefly glanced sadly at her delicate silk shoes; the mud would surely ruin them. She closed her eyes and listened to the soothing sound of the rain. _What a mess I've made today, Toadsworth would be so disappointed in me._

The soft clinking of teapots and teacups announcing their arrival caused Peach to open her eyes. An enchanting smell of apple and lemongrass perfumed the air as the young Toad placed the teapot softly on the white tablecloth. The scent of the tea married perfectly with the spicy smell of cinnamon and vanilla sugar, which came as the Toad placed a large gooey cinnamon bun, dripping beautifully with icing, on the table.

"Enjoy," said the Toad softly.

As Peach picked up the teapot and slowly poured herself a cup of the lovely steaming brew, she glanced at the Toads behind the counter. In addition to the female Toad who was serving the tea, there was a male Toad with a red hat. He appeared to be responsible for most of the baking. She watched them with a passing interest as she spooned a candied violet into her tea.

_Newlyweds. What could be better than being in love and selflessly supporting one another in a mutual adventure? _She thought of her own life and sighed. Although she was a strong woman and a capable leader, she rarely found herself in a position to be of much help to anyone, instead she usually was in a "damsel-in-distress" position. She carefully sipped her hot tea, savoring the light, heavenly flavor and aroma. She glanced back at the two Toads and watched them interact seamlessly with one another and exchange happy smiles and an occasional peck. _Perhaps, one day I will find that sort of contentedness._

With that thought on her mind, she picked up the tiny golden fork and started on her cinnamon bun, determined to enjoy her life as her perfect adventure.

* * *

Mario paced the ugly, speckled airport floor nervously. Luigi looked up from his magazine at him. He knew his brother hated flying, but today Mario seemed even more anxious.

"What's going on, bro?" he asked his older brother.

Mario gestured to the window gloomily. It was raining spaghetti and meatballs and Mario was decided not excited.

"Don't worry about it; it's going to be just fine. Aren't you excited to see Mama and Papa?" Luigi asked in an attempt to take Mario's mind off flying.

Mario grunted in response. It had been almost a year since he had gone to see his parents, and the last visit was not exactly pleasurable. He knew Luigi, the favored younger brother, could never understand the pressure he was still under, even at this age. Lately, it seemed they were focused on seeing their sons married and producing grandchildren. Naturally, Luigi was ahead on this account with Princess Daisy as his long-time girlfriend.

"Now boarding flight number 4-3-3-2-4, first-class passengers only," said a voice on the loudspeaker.

Luigi stuffed his magazine into his luggage. "That's us, bro, let's go."

Mario sighed and rolled his luggage to the kiosk where he handed in his ticket. He had a bad feeling about the whole trip.

* * *

Bowser looked out his rain streaked bedroom window. He had played his role perfectly.

_Three days should give the princess plenty of time to worry about stuff._ He did feel slightly guilty for using political blackmail and making Peach worry, but the knowledge that he was in her thoughts somehow overrode those feelings of guilt. _It's not like she'll have to worry for long and, as a bonus, the stupid plumbers will be gone for a while._

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and Kamea entered. "Excuse the intrusion, Your Majesty. As you requested, I am here to report that the Mario Brothers have embarked on their flight."

"Good. See to it that every corner of this castle is spotless. Also, we're going to need a different guest room prepared for our special guest."

"Very well," she replied. "In what fashion would you like the room to be prepared?"

Bowser furrowed his brows in thought. "Hmm, it needs to be comfortable. I want Peach to be comfortable here."

"And?" she asked expectantly.

Bowser wracked his mind for other specifications, he wanted to be able to show Peach that he cared, but he was certainly no designer. He looked at the falling rain outside. "Warm. It needs to be warm. A-and beautiful, it needs to be more beautiful than her room at her own palace so that she will want to stay--this time."

Kamea nodded in sympathetic agreement, realizing she was not likely to get any more useful input. "We will spare no expense in preparing a warm, comfortable, and beautiful room for Princess Peach. Will that be all, Sire?"

"Yeah, that'll be all…for now."

* * *

Princess Peach winced as she hit the wrong note on her baby grand piano for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour. Just two days after the planting ceremony, the gossip columns had already come out with several renditions of the events that took place. Each included its own twisted spin and theories as to why she and King Bowser had been snubbing each other at the ceremony, the most ridiculous of which involved a scandalous love affair and a possible pregnancy. Under different circumstances, Peach may have found the articles mildly amusing in a disturbing way, but today she could only thank the Stars that her story did not appear to be cover worthy.

She thought that a little piano practice might take her mind off her troubles, but now she was only more frustrated than she was before.

Toadsworth entered holding a burnt cupcake from a batch that Peach had forgotten in the oven earlier that day.

"Your Highness, is something troubling you today?"

"No," Peach lied. "I'm just feeling a bit tired. Actually, I think I might be coming down with something."

Toadsworth looked at her kindly. "Perhaps you ought to get some rest then, my girl. It is entirely possible you will feel better after a little nap."

"You're probably right, thank you for your concern," she said as he exited.

In a haze, Peach slipped on a comfortable nightgown and climbed between her pink satin sheets. She shut her eyes, but no matter how she tried, sleep would not come. _What was I thinking? First I'm letting my personal feelings get in the way of proper diplomacy, then I find I'm lacking the focus to perform even the most basic of tasks, and now I'm lying and hiding things from my advisers. This is a terrible path to be traveling. _

Peach tossed and turned in her bed anxiously continuing to stress over her recent actions. She began to notice that she actually did feel legitimately ill. She gave a small cough and curled up on her side. With sweat beading on her delicate skin, she finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.


	7. Coming Home

**A/N: Yay, I finally got off my bum and wrote out a checklist of the major plot points of this story! That means that I have enough good solid direction to post this chapter. Don't worry though, there is still plenty of story left, and I won't rush through it or leave you hanging. This is still, as they say, only the beginning. Fun Fact: Yes, the song Bowser is singing is the same tune that Foghorn Leghorn sings in Looney Tunes.

* * *

**

Mario gripped the armrests tightly as the plane began its decent to land. It had been a long flight. The teething baby behind him, after a very energetic bout of nonstop crying, had finally fallen asleep about five minutes before the captain announced that the plane was ready to land. Unfortunately, the baby's older brother still had not found any form of entertainment quite as exciting as kicking the back of Mario's chair. Concerning Mario's own brother, one could find Luigi snoring on Mario's shoulder, a puddle of saliva gradually soaking into his brother's red shirt. It had been a very long flight.

After the plane landed with a bump, Mario gathered his luggage and followed his brother off the plane and into the terminal where an elderly couple was standing with brightly colored flowers and balloons.

"Mama! Papa!" Luigi rushed past Mario with his arms outstretched to hug his parents.

"Oh, Luigi! My baby! You look so handsome!" said Mama, a short, plump, elderly woman with watery, blue eyes. "And Mario, I'm so glad to see you both!"

Mario gave his mother a hug and gave his father a firm handshake. He stayed mostly silent as his brother told stories of the Mushroom Kingdom while they were exiting the airport. When they reached the car, Mario offered to load the luggage into the trunk and then climbed into the back seat.

"Mario!" Mama exclaimed. "You've hardly said a word since you've been here! How have you been? Are you eating well, getting enough sleep?"

Mario nodded and forced a smile.

"Well you look exhausted! When we get to the house, I want you to wash up before dinner. I've made your favorite, homemade raviolis!"

As the little green car pulled into the driveway, Mario looked up at his family home. It was just as it was when he and Luigi left almost ten years ago. It had the same yellow paint and the same little garden with the same little flowers. Mama loved those flowers almost as much as she loved her sons.

Mario carried his luggage upstairs into his old room. It still smelled like home, a mix of oregano and old wood. Everything was in the same place that it was ten years ago. Though Mama would never admit it, she was very sentimental and would sometimes sit in her son's rooms on the beds and reminisce. It felt nice to be back on his old bed, but he remembered what Mama had said and went to wash up.

The dinner table was set simply but elegantly, with plates full of steaming ravioli and freshly chopped salad. Mama's cooking tasted heavenly, as always. Legend had it that after tasting just one bite of Mama's homemade ravioli, Papa knew he had to marry her.

"So," said Mama between bites. "How is Daisy doing, Luigi?"

Mario frowned; the dreaded conversation was here at last.

"She's doing really well; she's been really busy but is still finding time to help me with my tennis game. She's really something," Luigi said happily. "Actually, she's been asking to come and meet you all, especially after I told her about your cooking, Mama. She's just dying to try it."

Mario listened with half-hearted jealousy. Of course, for Luigi, it was so easy to make Mama and Papa proud. He stabbed a leaf of lettuce with his fork violently and stared down his plate.

"What about you, Mario? I saw in the news that you accompanied Princess Toadstool to an important event," Mama asked curiously. "Is she your girlfriend now?"

Mario thought for a quick second about what he should say, he decided that there was no harm in lying to Mama about such a small thing. He stuffed some raviolis in his mouth and nodded affirmatively.

Across the table, Papa smiled at Mario while Luigi looked unimpressed. He could not believe Mario would flat out lie to Mama and Papa like that. He had always looked up to his brother for ethical inspiration; after all, he was Super Mario, an all-around stand up person. Luigi allowed the conversation around him to fade into a dull buzz as he self-righteously contemplated how the mighty have fallen and how, as we age, our heroes just are not the same as they used to be. Suddenly, and outburst from Mama interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh! Oh, I'm so _so_ happy! You've made your Mama so happy! Luigi, you should take note, you need to ask that Daisy of yours to marry you soon, she's not going to wait around forever!"

"W-What's going on?"

"Mario just let us in on the big secret, the news you all came here to tell us. He's just told us he intends to ask the princess to marry him within the next year!"

Mario looked triumphant as his Mama smothered him in hugs and kisses. That was not exactly what he had said, but that small fact did not really matter right now. To him, it only mattered that, for once, he had made his parents proud. As a bonus, the rest of the evening went surprisingly smooth so long as the two brothers avoided eye contact.

That night, Mario tossed and turned in his bed. He looked at the alarm clock, 2:34 AM. He sat up and pushed the covers away. _Mama Mia, what did I just get myself into?_

He crept over to his closet and pulled up a loose floorboard. Inside the hole was Mario's "box of treasures". He opened the box and picked out the tiny flashlight inside. When he tried to turn it on, nothing happened. _Fried batteries._

He continued searching through the box. He removed some playing cards that were worth a few coins and a naughty magazine. Under the magazine was a picture of him and his old girlfriend, Pauline. He looked closely at the picture; he looked so much younger back then.

Pauline was his first and only real girlfriend. She really was something special, but very different than Peach. She was carefree and wild, but also very relaxed and down to earth. They had mutually agreed to split up when he moved to the Mushroom Kingdom and he had not talked to her ever since. The writing on the back of the picture said, "Don't be a stranger; you can call me anytime! XOXO Pauline."

Mario sighed and put the "treasures" back in the box then climbed into bed and tried to drift back to sleep.

* * *

"Koopa King is lookin' good, doo-dah, doo-dah. Koopa King is lookin' good all the doo-dah day." Bowser sang to himself as he made faces in an oversized mirror. "Kamek!"

The aged Magikoopa immediately appeared in a cloud of multicolored shapes. "Yes, Your Brilliance?"

"Are the preparations almost ready?" Bowser asked eagerly.

Kamek sighed. "It is my displeasure to report that they have not made much progress since you last asked ten minutes ago, Sire."

Bowser growled. "Well they need to hurry up. It's been too long, I can't wait any more!"

Kamek chuckled and said, "Then go! You're the king; you wait for no one. I'm certain that by the time you've brought her back, the servants will be done with the preparations, so then no time will have been wasted!"

"Good plan, glad I thought of it. Alright Kamek, I'm going, I'm really gonna do this."

"Good luck, Your Majesty, not that you'll need it, of course." Kamek watched as Bowser turned and stomped down the hall towards the hangar. "Ah, young, impatient love. Tsk, such madness, and yet…"Kamek smiled and then drew his wand to magnify his voice. "The Koopa King has left, I repeat, the Koopa King has already left. We have approximately two hours to reach project completion by the time His Majesty returns with Princess Peach."

Meanwhile, Bowser was already in the hangar, strapping himself into his freshly painted Clown Car. He pressed a few shiny green buttons and the propeller began to hum. Oh, how he loved to hear that sound. Slowly, the clown car began to lift Bowser up into the dark cloudy sky. According to the car's newly installed panel, it was 4:53 PM. _Perfect! Looks like we'll get back to the palace just in time to have dinner together!

* * *

_

In the Mushroom Castle, Peach was sitting quietly in front of the fire on an oversized chair in her fluffy pink bathrobe reading a novel that had come in the mail from Daisy in Sarasa Land. She could see why Daisy had sent it to her; the romantic comedy was an exciting page-turner about a sassy young girl who was trying to win the heart of a shy baker. It must have reminded Daisy of her own relationship with Luigi.

Peach was feeling a lot better than before her nap, especially now that she had another world in which to escape. She hugged Buzzy close and smiled as she read about a sweet and awkward encounter between the fairy tale characters.

"…_Chloe walked down the sidewalk in a reverie, her soul was still on fire from watching the Spanish guitar player as she sat at the café that morning. The way that woman moved her fingers across the instrument; it was as if she were sweetly caressing it in such a way to make it sing its beautiful music. As she danced down the cobblestone street, she smiled as the jingling coins in her pocket sweetly reminded her to make a stop at the bakery. She smiled widely at a man wearing a green coat and a feathered hat, undoubtedly a traveler from a distant land. She thought about how magical it would be to travel to far-off places and then to come home and write a book about all her wonderful, bohemian adventures. This thought engaged her so much that she was quite shocked when she rounded the corner and ran straight into the baker's apprentice…"_

Peach looked up from her book. _What was that clicking noise?_ She sniffled a few times and grabbed a tissue. _Oh boo, I might be getting a cold._ She pulled her lovely golden blanket up over her and Buzzy, snuggled back into the chair, and continued reading.

"_She saw that he was even cuter up close, with vivid green eyes and messy brown hair._

"_I-I'm terribly sorry miss, are you…okay?" he asked quietly._

_Chloe grinned "Of course! Hey, you're that boy from the bakery! I was just on my way there, do you know if there is any herb bread in stock?" she asked, knowing there was never any herb bread on Sundays._

"_Oh, uh, no, but…I could make some if you have some time before you need it."_

_This was just the chance she had been hoping for; to spend an hour or so in the bakery with him, watching him bake something just for her._

"_Of course I have time. Mm…I haven't properly introduced myself, my name's Chloe and you are?"_

"_M-my name's Adri…"_

Peach immediately stopped reading her book as a great shadow fell over the pages. She looked over her shoulder to see a large scaly figure.

"Bowser!" she cried. "W-what are you doing here?"

Bowser grinned and picked her up gently. "Like you really need to ask?"

Using a delicate claw, he picked up Buzzy and Peach's book and quickly rushed back to the Clown Car, which was hovering patiently outside. He set Peach down and took off before the Mushroom guards were able to intervene.

Peach sat in panicked, stunned silence. _Well, I suppose he can't be too offended, I mean, here I am, in the Clown Car. In any case, this is my chance; I must handle this situation carefully and remember that he's a very powerful foreign monarch. Above all, I must remain courteous but firm._

Bowser, who was preoccupied by wondering if the princess preferred chicken or steak, turned around quickly when he heard the princess give a small sneeze. It was then that he noticed her fluffy bathrobe, puffy eyes, and pink nose. He fumbled around with a few buttons and a windshield capped the Clown Car to prevent any more of the chilly night air from getting to his precious princess. He looked down at her, shook his head, and teased, "We just can't seem to get you over here healthy, can we?"

Peach bit back a scathing remark about his carelessness and instead lowered her eyes and sniffled.

"Don't worry, Princess, my servants will take such good care of you, you'll be better in no time, and then we can have some fun together!" he said wishfully.

_But I don't want to "have fun" with you, you stupid Koopa. I want to go home!_ She wanted so badly to scream her displeasure at Bowser, let him know exactly how much she hated everything about these little "excursions", but she could not allow herself that freedom. Instead, she spoke, "King Koopa, please take me home."

"But Peach, you haven't seen what I've prepared for you, you're gonna love it, I promise!"

_Don't you understand? Your promise means nothing to me! I don't want to see it! I'm sick, I'm tired, and I want to go home! _

"I'm asking you nicely, Bowser, please, please take me home."

He cringed with sadness as he looked into her eyes. She was pleading to get away from him and it was breaking his heart. "Okay, fine; I'll take you home. I will _not_ let that idiotic plumber come to be your hero. I, King Koopa, vow to take you home--after we've had a little time to talk. That's all I want; you don't even have to be nice; I just want to talk to you, is that okay?"

_NO! It's not okay! Nothing is okay. I wish Mario would come and stomp on you now. I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to be near you. Why can't you see that? What is your problem?_

"Okay," she said in a sad and small voice.

The Clown Car began its slow descent into the Darkland Castle's hangar. Bowser was thrilled that Peach had agreed to stay with him at his castle. _This is definitely worth a diary entry!_ He hopped out of the car and offered Peach his hand to help her out. It was a tall jump, so she had no choice but to accept. As she jumped out of the car, her arm briefly skimmed his soft underbelly. Bowser felt tingles; Peach felt sick.

Bowser guided Peach down the hall to her new guest room. He placed his claws on the golden door handles and opened the white double doors for her and she stepped into the most beautiful room she had ever seen. A warm fire was crackling in the golden fireplace; on the mantle, there were miniature trees that bore fragrant red roses. The bed was a spectacular display of fresh white linens and gold silks. White curtains flanked another set of double doors, which lead out to a balcony filled with red roses.

Peach looked at Bowser curiously and he replied, "Only the best for our royal guest. Uh, and I also have a present for you, this'll probably come in handy since you're sick and all." He placed a tiny glass bell in her hands. "Okay, so you can use this to call if you need anything and, uh, I'll come and get it for you. Yeah, me, so uh, don't use it too much, okay?"

Peach accepted the bell with a forced smile. How odd and inappropriate that she would call upon some other nation's ruler as if he were her servant.

"Actually, use it all you want, really, it's fine. I'm--going to leave now," Bowser stammered as he left the room and closed the doors behind him.

Peach sat down on the bed and frowned at the little bell. How was he going to hear this little bell, even if she did ring it? She placed it on her nightstand and opened the drawer. Instead of it being empty as she expected, it was full of movies. _I guess he expected me to be spending a lot of time in here._

She looked through the movie selection and found one titled _Koopa Family Home Movies_. Though her curiosity was piqued, she decided that she had better be on her best behavior while she was there. Instead, she decided to explore the rest of her room. In the closet, she found a stunning array of pink dresses, just her size, and lovely shoes to match. She found a drawer full of books, magazines, and a few boxes of chocolate truffles.

As she wandered into the bathroom, a wonderful sight greeted her. There was an old-fashioned white bathtub with golden lion's paws for feet. She turned on the tap for the bath and cautiously locked the door. As the tub was filling, the cloyingly floral scent of rose perfumed the air. Peach looked at herself in the mirror, she certainly was not looking her best. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were watery, and her nose looked like a pink balloon.

_Why am I here? What could it be that Bowser wants to talk about with me?_ When she thought about Bowser, she could see that she scrunched up her face in a most unpleasant way. _Well that's not very attractive. _She took a deep breath. _Okay, I can do this. I'm going to make my kingdom proud._


	8. Spicy Soup for the Heart

**A/N: My average chapter now hovers around 3000 words and as I get more involved with the story, longer chapters just seem to be writing themselves! (I'm so excited!) I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

**

Toadsworth ran down the hallway as fast as his short legs could carry him. When he reached his intended destination, he knocked loudly on the door and cried, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The Princess…huff…has been…wheeze…abducted…again."

The King opened his door slowly and looked fondly at the elderly Toad. "I know," he replied calmly.

"What! Then we have no time to waste! We must call the Mario Brothers at once!" cried Toadsworth, somewhat disturbed by the King's lack of concern.

"Toadsworth, please come in and have a seat. The Prime Minister and I have been discussing this at some length and we think it is best if we do not call the Mario Brothers at this time."

"Forgive me Sire but, are you mad?"

"Hardly," said the Prime Minister. "Bowser has never given us any reason to fear for the princess' safety, and you've no doubt seen the tabloid articles about the planting ceremony."

"Yes but, the poor girl, she loathes the beast."

"I am certain she knows what must be done to rectify the situation, and though it may seem cold, the king and I have decided that calling the Mario Brothers would not be the best course of action at this point in time. If she is not back within twelve hours, we will place that option back on the table."

"Understood," said Toadsworth sadly. "And goodnight, Your Majesty."

* * *

Bowser paced his room anxiously.

"But Kamek, she's here, in that room, and I'm here, in this room. What am I doing? I should be with her!"

"Sire, please have patience. If you do not give this ample time to work, you may waste the whole plan. It may even take a few days, but you must not go in and intrude upon her. She knows she must talk to you before she goes home, so let her come to you."

"I don't know if I can take this. I don't know that I can wait!"

"You must be patient, My Lord. As you know, patience is a virtue and, like most virtues, comes with rich rewards. Patience is especially important when it comes to develop--" A soft ringing sound suddenly interrupted Kamek's lecture.

"The bell!" Bowser exclaimed as he ran out the door and down the stairs.

He nearly tripped over a Goomba maid as he was trying to answer Peach's call as quickly as he could. "Out of my way, Short Stack!" When he reached the double doors, he quickly stopped to catch his breath and slowly opened the door as calmly as he could.

Peach was sitting in bed with damp hair, looking apologetic. "I-I'm sorry, nobody else was around, if I could have, I would have just asked somebody else but--"

"Don't be ridiculous, that's what the thing is for!" he grinned. "What do you need?" _If it's kisses, cuddles, and unconditional love from a studly king, then I know a princess who's in luck!_

"Oh, um, I'm a little hungry. Sorry." Peach really hated asking Bowser for anything.

"Stop being sorry; we don't do that around here. What kind of food do you want? I'll have it made faster than a Yoshi can lay an egg!" he bragged, immediately cringing at his unsavory analogy.

"Oh, um, just soup would be fine, any kind will do."

"Okay, coming right up, you wait right here, and I'll come and bring it to you."

With that, Bowser left the room eager to show his princess he could be useful to her.

_This is very weird._ Peach almost regretted that she had tried the bell.

Soon after she heard some alarming crashes outside, Bowser appeared in the doorway carrying a steaming bowl of hot yellow liquid.

"Here you are, Princess, one bowl of spicy soup!" he said, proud of completing his first task.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said, averting her eyes from his eager face as she accepted the deliciously fragrant bowl of soup.

However, she was unpleasantly surprised when, instead of leaving, Bowser took a seat on the edge of her bed, watching her intently. _What does he want? Oh right, he wants to talk. _She moved the bowl of soup to her lips to have an excuse for not talking.

"Be careful Princess," Bowser whispered to himself in a gentle, barely audible voice.

Peach took the bowl away from her mouth. "Pardon me?" she asked, although she was very sure of what she had heard.

"Um, uh, I said you should be careful! That soup is hot, you know! It's spicy too!" Bowser said, a little too loudly. "So, uh, you're reading a book! That's…well that's good. Uh, what's it about?" he asked, grasping for a conversation starter.

"Um, it's just something Daisy sent to me. Uh, it's about a shy baker and an outgoing girl and about how they fall in love," Peach said slowly; his nervousness was rubbing off on her. She was sitting in bed, talking to the Koopa King. This was just too bizarre.

"Oh, a love story," Bowser grumbled, forgetting himself and his manners. "It's like a book that celebrates some dumb weakness like it's something to be proud of."

"A weakness? Do you mean love? Love is the most powerful force in the world; of course it is something that is meant to be celebrated."

Bowser quickly got up from the bed and paced the floor. "Of course you would say so, Princess. It must be grand, being in love and having the fool love you in return. _I've_ never experienced love that way before, so all I can see is that it's weak and stupid," he growled. He was ruining his moment already. How did they get on this stupid topic anyhow?

"I-I don't understand. Nobody has ever, been in--in love with me before," Peach stammered. _This is so awkward…did he really bring me here to talk about this?_

"How about that idiotic plumber?" Bowser asked sullenly.

"Oh, uh, I don't think so. I mean, I don't think he cares for me in that…way. But what about you and your, um, kids? I mean, those kids had to come from somewhere, um, I think."

"Well, it's not the place _you're_ thinking of. Koopa royalty has been 'lab created', for lack of a better term. Some science geeks find Koopa mates that are supposed to be perfect genetic matches based on you and whatever you would want in a kid. Then, they copy their DNA to make some eggs, and the 'mothers', if that's really what you want to call them, leave."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. That's just how it works," Bowser said carelessly, taking a seat on the plush bed again. "People expect their leaders to be great and powerful so they can lead the kingdom into prosperity. They've gotta be as close to perfect as it gets. Of course, now with all of the recent advancements in genetic engineering, a bunch of the upper class citizens are doing it too. Can't blame 'em though, they just want to give their little squirts all the opportunities they can afford. My dad, he wanted a kid who was strong. My mom was a good lady, but if she'd have been my biological mom…well for starters I'd probably be balding and blind as a bat. But my dad loved my mom; he turned down an arranged marriage just to be with her."

"Hm, many people assume that Mario and I will get married one day. Do you really think that he is in love with me?" she asked in a curious voice that felt like a stab in the heart to Bowser.

He lowered his voice. "Yes Princess, I do. Why else would he always come around, trying to be your stupid little hero?"

Although Peach was excited to learn for the very first time that someone might be interested in her, she could sense the pain in his voice and decided to leave the topic alone. She knew he and Mario obviously did not get along, but she never realized how deep those feelings of hatred apparently ran. The conversation became less awkward as Peach asked polite questions about Bowser's children and other neutral topics.

Minutes crept into hours and, around midnight, Bowser stopped in the middle of his story about his fishing trip with his kids to notice that Peach had fallen asleep. She looked so serene and angelic with her golden hair strewn about on the white pillow beneath her head. He wished he could curl up by her side and stay with her until the morning, but he knew he had to leave.

He stroked her cheek softly and whispered, "Goodnight, my princess." before he slowly slinked out of the room and into the hallway where he proceeded to do a small victory dance.

* * *

Mario got up from his bed and stretched his aching back. A quick reality check reminded him of the situation he had created for himself last night with his parents. He could hear Mama, Papa, and Luigi we already down stairs talking about their favorite TV programs, probably waiting for their breakfast to finish cooking. Mario sighed and sat back down on his bed. Luigi was probably furious at him for lying to Mama and Papa. He would never understand.

Mario thought about Pauline's picture and the note on the back of it. For some reason it was just haunting him. He made his way over to the closet and pulled her picture from its usual spot. Then he flipped it over and read the phone number again. Maybe he would try to see her while he was here. After all, he probably would not want to stick around the house with Luigi. He slowly picked up the phone and dialed her number. The phone rang once before a woman's voice answered the phone.

"Hello? Yes? Oh, I'm sorry dear, Pauline moved out a few years ago! May I ask who's calling? Oh, Mario! I thought you sounded familiar! We haven't heard from you in such a long time, I'd almost forgotten what your voice sounds like! Here, let me give you Pauline's new number. She moved away to the Mushroom Kingdom to perform on stage. She'll be so happy to hear from you!"

* * *

A small tapping on the door awakened Peach at around ten o'clock. Kitty, the Boo, had entered with a tray of food.

"Good morning, Peach! It's lovely to see you again!" said Kitty happily. "Here's your breakfast in bed, courtesy of His Majesty!"

Peach opened her eyes slowly, sat up, and adjusted to the daylight.

"Well, just between you and me, the king actually made this breakfast himself, so I'd stay away from the porridge, but everything else should be pretty good," said Kitty with a bow. "Enjoy!"

As the Boo exited, Peach looked down at her breakfast. It smelled delicious, with golden fluffy pancakes covered in strawberry syrup and powdered sugar, and a tall glass of some pink juice, fruit salad, and a small bowl of some scary looking gray porridge, which the chefs could not convince Bowser to leave off the tray. There was even a small yellow rose in a vase at the top of the tray.

_He made this?_ She hesitated, and then took a small bite of the pancakes. _It tastes great but… this is so weird._

Soon, the princess had finished her breakfast and gotten ready for the day. She stepped outside of her room, half-expecting Bowser's guards to block her exit. To her surprise, she found nobody in the hallway. She wandered down the hallway to find Bowser sitting in a nearby room, building a castle of cards and talking with Kamek. As she entered, Bowser stood up immediately, causing his castle of cards to come crashing down.

"Peach!" he said, surprised. "You look like you're feeling better today, are you ready to go have some fun?" he asked hopefully.

Although it was true that she was feeling much better than she had been the night before, she still did not know what he meant by "have fun" and really wanted to go home. However, after he had tried so hard to be hospitable to her, she felt it would be quite rude to refuse his offer.

"Well, I'm really not sure what you have planned. I'm not really dressed for anything very active..."

"What you're wearing is perfect, I'm just gonna show you around my awesome kingdom for a little bit."

"Oh, very well then, I am ready."

"What? Really? I mean, right! Well, uh, let's get down to the hangar!" Bowser said, disbelieving his own luck.

The Clown Car always filled Peach with a sense of dread because usually when she saw it, it meant something bad was about to happen. Normally, she would sit in the bottom of the car and sulk, but today she was enjoying the warm autumn air as she looked down at the rolling green hills.

"I didn't know green grass grew in the Darklands," Peach said.

"Well, what color were you expecting? Blue?" Bowser joked, "I think you'll find that we have a lot more to offer here than just lava, but, I mean, we've got a lot of that too and it's pretty awesome."

The Clown Car lowered over a small town while the local Koopas looked upwards, pointed, and cheered.

"This is the agriculture district. We locally grow almost everything we eat, cuts down on costs and pollution and stuff. Luckily, it's not too hard to do; the soil's really great because of all the volcanic ash."

"Hm, your kingdom really does have amazing levels of _per capita_ output, is this how you maintain it?"

Bowser smiled at the praise. "That's just one of many great things about my kingdom. It's like a well-oiled machine--thanks to my brilliant planning. Our next stop is Koopa U. You probably didn't know, but because of generous royal aid, ninety-eight percent of adult Darklandians are college educated."

Peach shook her head, she had always thought of King Bowser as nothing but a tyrant who ruled his people by fear, but it seemed that he truly cared for his kingdom and his people truly admired him. Moreover, she was shocked to find that the Darklands looked more like a normal kingdom than the hellish pictures of the Darklands she saw in her history books.

"Bowser," she started matter-of-factly. "Why is it that all the history books show the Darklands as a miserable, scorched wasteland? Now that I'm here and seeing it for myself, it doesn't look that way at all!"

"Well, my dad was the last in a long line of terrible and brutal emperors. Back before I was in charge, it really did look like all of that."

"So why aren't you so terrible and ruthless?"

"Oh, I am. I'm the baddest of the bad. But, that doesn't mean I have time to waste just destroying things for fun, being king is a serious job! Plus, who wants to be in charge of a bunch of wastelands? My kingdom needs to be great enough to glorify me!"

Peach shook her head again. _What a humongous ego._

Suddenly, Kammy's voice was heard coming from the control panel, "Your Nastiness, I have just received word that the Mario Brothers are now on their way to come rescue the princess."

Bowser growled. "But I'm not done with my tour," he whined.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, I believe you promised the princess you would not wait until the Mario Brothers came before you took her home."

"I know what I promised, you stupid hag, so just magic over Peach's stuff. Over and out."

Bowser turned to Peach sadly. "Well, I guess this concludes our tour, I'll be taking you home now."

"Thank you for keeping your word, Bowser," said Peach as Buzzy and her book magically popped into her hands.

As the car descended towards the Mushroom Castle, Peach turned to Bowser, who looked a little sad. "Bowser, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah sure, ask me anything."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked bluntly.

Bowser turned red and tried to look very focused on piloting the car towards the castle. He turned his head towards her and said, "Look, it's just not nice to be hated, especially by--well, I just wanted you to see that we can be…friends, okay?"

Peach smiled and felt a little guilty. "Okay, well I'm glad that we can be, um, friends. Thank you for your hospitality." She smiled and slowly hopped out of the Clown Car, onto her balcony.

"The pleasure was all mine, Princess." He looked at her with gentle and longing eyes for a brief second, then piloted away.


	9. Choice & Circumstance

**A/N: Holy moly, my longest chapter to date! Some of it smacks of filler, but I really do prefer the term "exposition". Either way, here's hoping it gives you something to be excited about. Also, there is sort of an "ooh-la-la" moment with Mario and Pauline after it starts to rain. If you're terribly uncomfortable, I suggest you avert your eyes. Thanks again for reading, love all of the great reviews!

* * *

**

Daisy sat wide-eyed as Peach recounted the story of what happened to her at Bowser's Castle. It had been only a week since her safe return, but it already felt distant, like a dream.

"So let me get this straight," Daisy started, "He just, brought you back here because you asked him to? No Mario Brothers? No butt kicking?"

"Yes, he just came right to my balcony and dropped me off, as if he were an old friend of mine or something. But, that's not even the strangest part. When I got out of the car, he just sat there, looking at me, then he left."

"Uh huh," Daisy smirked. "Someone's in love with Peachy."

"Wh-what!" Peach stammered. "Do you really think so?"

"Well, why wouldn't he be?"

"Oh, well, nobody's ever been in love with me before, that's all. Well, nobody besides maybe TEC, that strange computer on the moon." Peach murmured.

Daisy rolled her eyes dramatically. "That's why you're going on a date with Mario tomorrow night, right? Because nobody loves poor Peachy."

"Hey, it isn't a date!" she lied. "Mario is my friend, we're going to see a movie and going to eat, and that's all!" In reality, she was quite thrilled that Daisy had called it a date as she had never been on a date before and they always sounded so exciting.

"Oh really?" Daisy teased. "Is that why you were so concerned that I come over and help you pick out what to wear? Listen, if you're saving all your love for the Koopa King, I totally understand, but you shouldn't lead poor Mario on…"

"Oh enough! I certainly am not 'saving all my love' for Bowser!"

"I'm just kidding!" said Daisy lightheartedly, flipping through pages in her magazine. "Lighten up. Hey, what's your sign anyhow?"

"Um, I was born in the year of the Wiggler, why?"

"I'm going to read you your horoscope! Here we go."

"Wigglers should expect many surprises in the coming weeks as the change in season causes disruption in Star Road. Keep your mind and heart open and give generously to all who cross your path."

"Um, that was so vague!" exclaimed Daisy. "Why can't it say something simple like 'lotsa smooching'?"

"Because then it wouldn't come true. Of course I should expect surprises and give generously; it's almost time for the holidays!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, let's finish picking out your makeup for tomorrow. If the Stars won't help us out in the romance department, then we'll just have to help ourselves!"

* * *

Bowser looked out the window of his castle at the silvery moonlight illuminating the hills. It was hard to believe that only a week ago, he had been enjoying a nice day out with Peach, just talking. Although the happiness from her visit had stayed with him, his loneliness had begun to creep up on him the moment he left the princess on her balcony.

He turned to his shelf and grabbed a small, worn book and a blue feather pen. He untied the side of the book, turned to a fresh page and wrote:

Day: **  
Month: %*  
Drizzling, then clear

Today I had to sit though another meeting and listen to some whiny jerks talk about their problems; it was totally boring. After that, I thought of a brilliant plan to surprise my brats. I'm gonna bring Peach over for the holidays, it's gonna be awesome. It gets pretty boring without those little monsters so…I hope they're making lots of trouble for those teachers. Dinner was good tonight, but I'm getting really sick of eating alone.

He closed the book and placed it back on its shelf. He slipped out of his shell and slid between his red satin sheets with an enormous yawn. _Maybe she's thinking about me too, that'd be pretty cool.

* * *

_

Peach looked in the mirror for the thousandth time that evening. She anxiously grabbed a can of hairspray to plaster her curls even further into submission, and then looked at the clock. Mario would arrive at the castle in ten minutes to pick her up for their date. Peach was giddy with excitement. She had never known anybody to have romantic feelings for her, much less ask her on a date. Although Peach did not exactly burn for Mario, she rationalized that she had just not gotten to know him in that way yet and that when she did, she would probably fall in love with him.

She looked at the clock again, eight minutes left. She paced the floor and finally turned on her television to half-watch a boring sit-com that flickered onto the screen. She tapped her baby pink nails on her thigh as she waited in anticipation.

After what felt like hours, the sit-com ended and Peach once again looked at the clock. It was time, but he had not arrived yet and the suspense was killing her. Peach continued to pace the floor and looked in the mirror again to reapply her lipstick. She hastily cleared off her vanity, as if worried that Mario would suddenly appear in her room and see what a horrible mess she had made.

Earlier that day, she had tried on nearly every dress she owned in order to pick the best looking one. She hung up the rest of the dresses in the "maybe pile", which she had previously spread out on her bed. At last, her room was clean and she was satisfied with her overall appearance. She glanced at the clock. _Ten minutes late. Where is he? I hope he didn't forget._

She sat back down on her bed and watched the news, shaking her dangling foot as it hung off the bed. With every minute past, her excitement turned increasingly into frustration and disappointment. At this rate, they might even miss the movie! Finally, she heard a soft knock on her door and the sound of Toadsworth's voice.

"Princess! Mario has arrived and is waiting for you downstairs."

Her stomach did a flip-flop. He was finally here! She quickly opened the door and walked downstairs slowly. As Mario came into view, she was slightly disappointed that he seemed to be in his normal clothes and that had not brought anything for her.

Although she knew it was wrong to compare real life to things she saw in movies, she had always imagined that her first date would be a magical night. She had visions all day of Mario coming to the door, all dressed up just for her, with a bouquet of flowers. However, this was reality and she was not about to let trivial things get in the way of having a wonderful first date.

"Um, hello Mario." She said with a blush, keeping her lovely eyes cast downward. She remembered reading in a magazine that men preferred women who were shy and reserved, but also friendly and polite.

Mario cleared his throat nervously and offered her a coat. Outside, he opened the car door for the princess and got inside next to her. During the car ride, Peach remained mostly silent, occasionally chancing a glance over at her date. She was trying very hard to take everyone's advice and make the night a perfect success.

Mario shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _Why is she acting so weird? _He pretended to be interested in the city lights outside the window so he could avoid Peach's shy looks. He had known her for years and she had never once given him a look like that. _Mama mia, she must really, really like me, more than I thought. _

Peach smoothed her hair and straightened her dress. Mario looked so nervous; she wondered if something was wrong. _Perhaps Bowser was right, maybe this kind of love could make you weak. Actually, he looks a little sick. But how would Bowser know anything about that kind of love?_ She wrinkled her nose as she remembered Daisy teasing that Bowser was in love with her. That would just be weird.

When they reached the restaurant, the maître d' seated them immediately. Mario's eyes danced over the menu with delight. Peach mindlessly played with a ringlet of her hair as her eyes glazed over the menu. _Bread, pasta, and then perhaps dessert with a sugary drink._ Peach smoothed her dress over her stomach._ None of these refined carbohydrates will do anything good for my figure._

"Good evening, a pleasure to see you again! Will it be the usual, Sir?" asked the neatly groomed waiter.

Mario nodded in affirmation.

"And for you, Miss?"

"Oh, uh, I would just like water please," said Peach softly

Peach smiled at Mario as the waiter took the menu. He smiled back with his eyebrows raised.

"They have a fabulous menu here and the ambiance is wonderful; I mean, who knew you could do so much with stained glass?" she said, gesturing to the chandeliers above the tables.

Mario once again nodded in affirmation.

Thankfully, at that moment the waiter interrupted the awkward conversation by bringing the appetizers and asking for the main order.

"I would like the seasonal dinner salad, please," said Peach, hoping the dressing would be on the side.

As soon as the waiter left, Mario began to eat right away, while Peach politely picked at the deep-fried calamari rings. Peach was not normally a health nut, but for whatever reason, she just did not feel like eating anything fattening.

"Um, so what movie are we going to see after this?" Peach asked.

Mario presented her with tickets to Super Blooper, a comedy.

"Oh, this looks like fun, I've wanted to see it, but Daisy hasn't had the time to go with me."

After a few more attempts at small talk, the waiter returned with the main dishes. Peach looked down at her salad, a stunning array of field greens and colorful fruits and vegetables. Every crunchy bite was like an explosion of bold flavors that blended in perfect harmony. Feeling cheerier, Peach smiled up at Mario who was also obviously enjoying his food.

By the time the dessert had arrived, Peach and Mario were chatting just like usual. Peach took a small bite of her fire flower gelato and her eyes went wide. "Oh, hot hot hot, but so tasty!" she exclaimed happily, forgetting her shyness. Everything was going so much smoother now that Peach had stopped focusing on Mario as her date, and instead focused on their existing friendship. At last, the check was paid and they were on their way to the Mushroom Multiplex.

At the theaters, Peach and Mario quickly rushed to the "best" seats in the theater: middle row, middle seats. The movie began and Peach put her arms on the armrests. Sometime, in the middle of the movie, Mario realized that he had not yet seized an opportunity to get closer to Peach. He slowly slid his arm next to hers on the armrest and gently put his hand on top of hers. Peach sat stiffly and attempted to concentrate on the movie, but she could feel the warmth from his hand reaching her fingers. Peach blushed and began to feel shy again.

After the movie was over, Peach and Mario politely discussed the movie. Mario seemed to enjoy the movie quite a bit and the princess said she liked it too. However, in truth, she found it a bit boring. At last, the car finally reached the castle and Mario escorted Peach to the door.

"Well, thank you," she said softly "I had a lovely time."

Mario nodded his head and the two stood awkwardly for a few seconds before Peach leaned forward and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Well, goodnight Mario."

Peach entered her castle and quietly made her way to her room. Immediately, she kicked off her shoes and massaged her tired calves. After changing into her most comfortable pajamas and washing her face, she grabbed Buzzy and opened her pink laptop. As expected, Daisy was online and waiting to hear every detail of her first date.

Before Peach could finish climbing into her fluffy bed, a window from "PrincessEclair" popped up on the screen. "Peachy, you're finally back! How did it go? Tell me everything!"

Peach smiled and her keyboard clicked furiously as she typed the story to her eager cousin. After she sent the story, she yawned softly and waited for a reply. While waiting, she brought up her e-mail. _Eleven unread messages, and that's just since last night!_

She was excited to receive an e-mail from her old friend Twink, a Star Kid who had once helped her escape from Bowser. Apparently, the Star Elders had recently appointed him to a wish granting committee and they were making big changes to efficiency up in Star Haven.

The laptop emitted a soft chime which pulled Peach back to her conversation with Daisy. "So did you kiss him, or what!?"

Peach blushed and smiled, thankful to be hiding behind a computer screen.

Prettyinpink: Well, yes, I mean, sort of…

PrincessEclair: How do you 'sort of' kiss someone?

Prettyinpink: You know, like a peck on the cheek

PrincessEclair: Aw…how cute! Sounds like you had a good time.

Prettyinpink: Yeah, I did. We'll talk more later though; I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open!

* * *

When he arrived home, Mario was disappointed to find Luigi already in bed, snoring. He had really wanted someone to talk to, even though he thought that Luigi probably could not understand what he was going though and was possibly still mad at him.

He reached into his pocket to take out his valuables and felt some photo paper next to his wallet. He pulled Pauline's picture out of his pocket and stared at it. She certainly was attractive back then; he wondered how she looked now. He turned the picture over and looked at her new number, written in red pen. _Sure would be nice to talk to somebody._ He looked over at the clock. _11:30. I couldn't possibly call her now._

The words on the back of the picture were haunting him. "Call me anytime." Mario slowly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"Hello?" Pauline's voice rang clearly though the phone, although it was apparent she was somewhere quite noisy. "Oh my Stars! Mario? It's been so long, I'm so glad you called!"

Mario felt foolish for calling. _At least she's not sleeping._

"You have great timing, as always. I'm down here at Harry's, you know where that is, don't you? Anyhow, if you're not busy, I'd love for you to meet some of my friends and maybe we could catch up a little?"

Mario's mood brightened up immediately. He checked his reflection in the mirror once before heading out. _Still looking good._ He rushed out the door to take the pipe downtown.

The sound was overwhelming as Mario entered Harry's Pub, a classy establishment with brass furnishings and marble floors. Mario scanned the room for Pauline, a task made especially difficult by the fact that he was not entirely sure what she would look like. Suddenly, he heard a loud laugh that chimed like a bell cut across the noise of the room. He turned to face the bar and saw her sitting there, her bright bluish-gray eyes met his with a smile and she waved enthusiastically.

She was even more beautiful now than she was in his pictures and memories. Her brown hair was full and bouncy, painted red lips curved into a devilish smile, and her short red dress hugged the curves of her perfect figure. To Mario's dismay, however, there was a handsome, dark-haired man sitting at her side. _Of course. There's no way a girl like her would ever be single for very long._

"Mario! I'm so glad you could make it. How have you been?" Her golden bangles jingled as she gestured to the man by her side. "This is my best friend Emilio; he's a great performer, an acting genius."

"Oh Pauline, you flatter me, look you're making me blush! So this is the famous Mario whom I've heard so much about?" Emilio said, looking him up and down with a devious smile, "Hmm, you're right, he is pretty cute."

"Oh, Emilio stop. Don't be such a tease," Pauline said with a grin. "Besides, I don't think you're really his type."

"Humph, well mustaches aren't really my thing anyhow. I think I'll be on my way now though; I'll give you two a little time to catch up. See you on Monday," he said with a wink.

"Sorry about him, he'll flirt with anything that moves," Pauline said, rolling her eyes. "Hey listen, it's kinda hard to talk in here, do you think we might be able to go somewhere a little quieter to chat?"

Even though he had just arrived, Mario jumped at the chance to go somewhere private with Pauline. They stepped outside and Mario hailed a cab. Once inside, Pauline asked the driver to head to Lakeside Park. Mario knew he had heard of the place before, but for some reason he could not remember when he had been there before.

The cab driver stopped at the lake and said he would wait for them to return. As Mario peered out over the water he remembered, this is where he and Luigi took Daisy and Peach picnicking. He felt a little stab of guilt as he remembered Peach. How would she feel if she knew he was out here with Pauline? All of his guilt melted away, however, when Pauline grabbed his hand and sat down with him on a park bench.

"Okay, tell me how you've been, what you've been doing since you left. I want to know everything!"

Mario began telling her about how he and Luigi bought a house together, their business as plumbers, and his adventures in saving the Mushroom Kingdom.

"So, the princess," Pauline started. "You have feelings for her?"

Mario shook his head, feeling a little guilty. He opted to leave out the fact that he told Mama he intended on marrying her, instead he asked Pauline to tell him about her life.

"Well, as you know, I moved to the Mushroom Kingdom to pursue an acting career. I'm actually in a performance right now; we're going to debut in a few weeks! It really is a full time job, I don't do much else, the cast has become like a family to me, but sometimes it gets tiring seeing the same people all the time. Sometimes, it's very lonely…" She trailed off, looking into Mario's eyes seductively.

Mario could not believe what was happening. Before he knew it, they were getting closer and closer until their lips softly touched. They began kissing each other softly until a large raindrop fell on Mario's cheek.

He gestured to the sky, indicating it was going to rain.

Pauline shook her head and grinned, "Good, it'll be more fun that way!" she exclaimed, pushing Mario to the ground and falling on top of him, rolling down the grassy hill as the rain began to fall heavily. They remained in that embrace, passionately kissing for a good ten minutes before Pauline broke away with brown hair dripping wet and her soaked red dress clinging tightly to her body.

She looked into Mario's eyes passionately and kissed him one last time. "It's pretty cold out here but, we should do this again," she said softly, walking towards the waiting cab. "I'm going to try to get you tickets to my performance, I'd really love it if you'd come see me."

Mario nodded and walked her to the cab. He felt like he was in a dream as he saw Pauline drive away with the cab, disbelieving that just a few seconds ago, he had been rolling in the grass with someone as beautiful and wonderfully fun as she was. He hurried to the nearest pipe and traveled to his dry and cozy home.

* * *

A blue glow cast over Bowser's face as he sat in the dark in front of his computer. He looked at the empty bag of Koopa Krisps with regret, wishing that he had just a few more. However, he was unwilling to ask for another bag, because he knew he would definitely devour the entire thing. He knew he ought to keep his claws off the snacks at night, but something about after-midnight just made everything taste so much better.

A few hours ago, Bowser had been rolling around in his bed, his mind barraged by a whirlwind of thoughts, some pleasant, others not. Bowser found on nights like these it was better to just get up and do something useful than try to tell his mind to shut up. As usual, his thoughts tonight were about Peach.

_I can't have her over here for the holidays without some kind of gift._ He clicked on Koopazon's "gifts for her" section. _What kind of gift would she even want?_

Bowser wrinkled his nose as the page popped up with thousands of gift baskets with scented bubble baths, perfumes, and makeup. "What even is this crap?' he growled, scratching his thigh.

"Oh yes, hi Peach," he squeaked in a mock falsetto. "This is a present for you; do you know what it is? Yes, you're right, it's bath crap! Just what you always wanted, right? After you're done taking a bath, you can smear this weird stuff all over your face to make you prettier!" _Why would she want that? She's perfect how she is._

He scrolled though pages and pages of gift ideas, finding something wrong with every single one of them. He passed over the books and music section, thinking of those things as "friends only" kinds of gifts. He skipped the jewelry section with a growl of "Been there, done that." He chortled at the house wares section. _I feel bad for the stupid idiot who gives his woman a vacuum cleaner. _His mouse briefly hovered over the lingerie section before Bowser burst out in a loud laughter. He could imagine Peach's outraged face so perfectly.

"Oh Bowser," he said, mimicking Peach's voice. "What a lovely and thoughtful gift, I'm going to try it on right now! Wait right here so you can tell me how it looks!" _Heh heh, I wish._

He heard a knock at his bedroom door. "What the-- it's four in the morning," he growled loudly through the door.

"Sire, it's Kammy. I heard a ruckus in here and wanted to make sure nothing bad had happened."

Bowser glared at the door. "I'm fine! Actually, get in here, I need your help," he growled, throwing on a robe to hide his nakedness.

Kammy magically walked through the closed door and into Bowser's chamber, a blue gooey paste plastered to her face. "I heard about your blood pressure from Dr. Koz," she said lazily, munching on a cucumber slice.

Bowser frowned. "Whatever, I'm fine. What's on your--actually, save it, I don't want to know. Listen; you're a girl, what do you want for the holidays?"

Kammy raised her eyebrows. "What do I want? Hah, I want a raise! But--" She continued hastily, seeing that Bowser was not amused. "Why not give her the best gift of all, My Lord? You know what it is."

"Uh, of course I do, but why don't you refresh my memory, O Wrinkled One?" he asked with his brows furrowed. He hated her stupid puzzles, especially this late at night.

"Why, the best present is you, of course! Why not spend some time with her instead of giving her _stuff_?"

"Hm, yeah, I like that. Will do, thanks Squinty!"

"My pleasure, Your Lordship," Kammy said before she disappeared.


	10. Help Me!

**A/N: Woo hoo, Christmas in July! My gift to you? Koopalings. The first (of many) Koopaling-centric scenes are located somewhere in the middle of this chapter.** **Thanks for all your support (and non-support, I got my first anonymous flame on Friday, I think. A complaint based on pairing, not writing ability. Yessss!) Thanks again for reading and reviewing.

* * *

**

A few weeks after Peach and Mario's date, Daisy had decided she was due for another day visit to Peach's castle. Daisy had managed to accidentally break an expensive decorative window in one of her many sneaking-out escapades and she expected that servants, laborers, and her angry father would be in and out of her room all day to clean up her mess. Knowing Luigi could help cheer the Sarasa Princess, Peach decided to invite the Mario Brothers over for cookies and drinks.

Peach threw a winning smile over at Mario as she brought a tray of piping hot Yoshi cookies out of the oven in the kitchen. It was her favorite recipe from a lovely upcoming chef traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom from Yo'ster Isle.

"Everybody ready to decorate?" she asked excitedly.

Luigi nodded his head and smiled while Daisy clapped her hands together. Mario preferred when Daisy and Luigi were around at Peach's Castle; it took a lot of the pressure off his individual responses to Peach.

"Well, we just need to wait for the cookies to cool, but I've made everyone some spiced hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows!" Peach said happily. Looking out the window, she noticed that a few snowflakes were slowly drifting to the ground. The first snow of the winter! "Hey everyone, it's snowing!"

"Oh man, it never snows in Sarasa Land, you're so lucky!" Daisy exclaimed.

After a while, the cookies were cool enough to decorate. Peach sat next to Mario and grabbed a star shaped cookie to paint like a power star. _It's so nice to be with all my friends during the holidays, I really am very lucky._ She sprinkled yellow sugar over her star and selected another cookie. She glanced over at Mario who was busy making miniature Mario cookies that appeared to be chasing a large Donkey Kong cookie. _Hm, I wonder what sort of present I should get for him._

For the rest of the afternoon, the four friends laughed, chatted and shared sweets. When her guests finally left, Peach ate a light dinner and retired to her room, snuggling into hot pink velour track pants and lacy white tank top. She got under her freshly laundered sheets and opened a magazine to hunt for gift ideas. She closed her eyes and thought of the fresh snow powdering the ground. She would have to make a trip to the Mushroom Mall. _Maybe tomorrow. I'll have to pick up some new earmuffs and mittens as well. _

She picked up a pen off her nightstand and began making a list of all the things she wanted to buy while she was out. A loud tapping on the French doors of her balcony interrupted her jottings. As she got out of bed to investigate, the doors opened with a sudden blast of freezing night air, revealing the Koopa King.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked, alarmed.

"Are you gonna ask me that every time I drop by?" Bowser shut the doors behind him. He briefly admired the princess in her showy white tank top and added, "It's pretty cold out there, and since you're comin' with me, I suggest you get a jacket."

Thankfully, Bowser's unexpected entrance was so shocking to Peach that she did not notice his inappropriate gaze. _"Drop by"? Since when does Bowser just "drop by"? And wait a second, "coming with me"?_

"I-I'm not going anywhere!" she stammered. "Wait a second. I thought you said we could be friends. Friends don't kidnap each other, Bowser."

"Well, what kind of friend never comes to visit? It's not like you were going to come on your own!" Bowser was getting impatient. "Look, I--I really need your help with something, okay?"

"I might have come on my own if you had sent a proper invitation," she lied. "What is it that you need help with?" _What could Bowser possibly need from me?_

"My kids! They're coming home for Winter Break early and I haven't prepared or done anything; I want 'em to have a good holiday and I haven't figured out what I should do for them and…_would you __**please**__ just get in the Clown Car_?"

"I don't know what to say Bowser. I really don't think--"

"Please_?" _He looked at her with his amber eyes in an expression of exasperation. "You said you would come on your own, so _prove it_! I mean, I already said you're going to be coming with me anyway, but I'd really like it to be your choice. One weekend. That's all I'm asking. I just need your help for one weekend."

Once again, Peach got that uneasy awkward feeling. "You know they'll come looking for me."

"Not if you make it a royal diplomacy trip, they won't. Say you'll do it. It's Thursday night and I'll have you back by Sunday night, Koopa's honor."

* * *

Peach cursed herself and her situation as she was once again riding in Bowser's Clown Car. She never did find out what made her say "yes" to Bowser's plea. It may have been his horrible desperation, or her unwillingness to say no to someone in need. It may have been his pleading amber eyes or her duty to the Mushroom-Koopa alliance. It may have even been fate, but whatever it was, it did not matter now because there she was, sitting quietly in the passenger seat of the Clown Car, her luggage rattling in the back.

"So, uh, I'm glad you're coming to stay." Bowser said for the third time that trip. His heart was racing and his tongue felt like it has swollen inside his mouth leaving him at a loss for words. She was staying at his castle for the whole weekend, and she was _willing_!

She smiled pathetically. "Yes. I'll be glad to help." _Why is it always so ridiculously awkward?_ "What did you have in mind in terms of, um, preparation?"

"What? Oh, uh, I don't know, that's what I got you for. I mean if I knew what to do, I'd have done it already. Not that I'm not glad that you're coming to stay, because I am." _Fourth time._ "So, what do you think we should do, Princess?" _"We._" Oh, how he loved that word.

"Oh, okay. Well, I think the castle ought to have some wintry decorations, perhaps a tree with some ornaments."

"Now you're talking! We'll get the best decorations coins can buy! We'll make the castle look so awesome…" He trailed off. Peach looked quite sleepy. "Uh, tomorrow. Yeah, have to make sure you get your rest."

Peach doubted she would get any rest at all, as she dreaded the idea of trying to get a good night's sleep in Bowser's Castle. In her mind, the only reason she had been able to sleep at all the last time she was over was that stress and illness had exhausted her, physically and mentally.

Eventually, after a bit more strained conversation, the Clown Car landed at Bowser's Castle and a friendly Shy Guy in green winter wear showed Peach to her room. As she pulled back the now familiar golden silk and white cotton linens, she found the bed was quite soft, even softer than her own bed in her castle, thus, she had no trouble at all drifting right to sleep.

* * *

Ludwig sat quietly as he poured over his books for the last time that semester. His bags were already packed and waiting for him in his dormitory. Just one more exam and it would be back to his castle for him and the rest of his siblings. Unlike the rest of the Koopalings, Ludwig felt ambivalent about returning home. Sure, he would enjoy seeing father and the many comforts of maid service but… He looked up from his books to see the object of his affections reaching for a book on a high shelf, the real reason for his frequent trips to the library. _Beautiful. Smooth raven hair, azure eyes, warm flesh, smart, and quiet. This-- this is a Koopa worthy of everything! _

So far, Ludwig had managed to compose entire concerts about his love, but had not yet found the courage to introduce himself. Ludwig sighed, now he would be away from his secret love for nearly a month and certainly, absolutely nothing would happen.

_Father would not approve._ He shuddered. _If he knew…_

He ran his hands through his fine, tangled blue hair. In truth, he did not find his long hair to be entirely flattering, but it served a greater function. As next in line to the Darklandian throne, he had begun developing small horns on either side of his head. Ludwig had little interest in politics or ruling and thus had none of the political finesse of his father. Ludwig feared that, one day, someone would force him into his birthright and, as a result; he might ruin the kingdom that his ancestors had worked so hard to build. Therefore, his long hair hid the horns in an act of rebellion against his position.

Meanwhile, Junior was very upset that he could not manage to take home _every _piece of art that he had made during his first semester away.

"Now Junior, why don't you just pick the five pieces you like best, and we'll have the rest mailed to your house?" his teacher asked sympathetically.

"What if it gets lost? Those are au-au-ten-tic pieces of royal art! The postman will maybe steal them and then he'll sell them for a million coins!" Junior cried, miming his father's huge ego. He tried, to no avail, to shove another oversized ceramic figure into his suitcase. "Fine, but nobody better take my art."

He looked over his works for his favorite pieces. He picked up a couple of watercolors of him and his dad, an "abstract" crayon piece, and a wand he made for Mama Peach.

"Oh, are you taking that to give to your Mama Peach?" his teacher inquired. The day Junior constructed the wand had proven quite memorable; Junior had spent the entire class period telling his classmates outlandish lies about a special tunnel from his room to Peach's Castle and the tea parties he and the princess had together every day.

The wand had a yellow star with glass gemstones pressed into it and pastel ribbons tied around the base. He had made the wand in honor of Peach's birthday early in the fall.

"Yep, I gotta take this with me. It's got special Koopa magic powers. Bad things would happen if someone like that bad man Mario got it. Only Mama Peach can use it right."

Amused, his teacher asked, "Oh? What magic powers does it have?"

"Don't you know?" he asked impatiently. "It's a _Star Rod._ It makes wishes and stuff. Dad used to have one but that stupid Mario took it away. Dad says we have to work hard to make all of Mama Peach's wishes come true before she'll come live with us. Dad says he doesn't know what she wants to wish for; I think maybe chocolate ice cream or probably some girl stuff. But that's why I made this. Now she can make all her wishes come true and then come play with me."

His teacher looked at Junior adoringly, feeling sadness for both him and his father. Even with all his pranks, antics, exaggerations, and lies, she would certainly miss him over break.

* * *

Yells and loud banging noises coming from outside jarred Peach awake in the morning. Perhaps the Mario Brothers had already come to rescue her, despite the eloquent letter she had written to dismiss herself. She quickly rushed to the balcony to see what was causing all the commotion. As she opened the double doors to the pre-dawn light, a silvery mist of cold winter air snaked into her warm bedroom. _That's odd. I didn't know it ever got this cold in the Darklands._

As she looked out upon the land, she could see that, by decree of the king, string lights decorated every house and every tree. In the distance, she could faintly make out Kammy's purple robes as she hovered on her broomstick shouting orders to the Koopa Troopas and Goombas below. The troops were standing in rows holding the biggest evergreen Peach had ever seen in her life. They were trying to stuff it through the front gate into the castle's main foyer without much success. On the ground below to her left, Kamek was leading a large army of Magikoopas. He paused what he was doing and looked up at her on the balcony.

She waggled her fingers in an awkward wave and, unable to restrain her curiosity, shouted down, "What's going on? What are you doing?"

Kamek smiled at the pretty, young thing in his grandfatherly way. He cleared his throat and placed his wand to his mouth with a sweeping gesture. Startling Peach with his suddenly magnified voice he responded, "Ah, good morning Princess! I hope we didn't disturb your sleep. As per His Highness' wishes, we are preparing for the Koopaling's arrival by way of a Mushroom Kingdom style holiday."

Peach looked confused, so Kamek continued, "I believe Kammy is direction operations about the tree while my royal corps of Magikoopas and I…well in short we will be summoning snow. I suggest you return inside Princess, if my magic isn't as aged and frail as I am, there's likely to be a storm headed our way."

Kamek chuckled at his own joke and then returned to leading the Magikoopas in the ancient rituals and chants. A snowflake caught on one of Peach's eyelashes before she turned to go inside. She opened the wardrobe to find an assortment of pink fabrics of all different weights and textures waiting to serve her every need. She quickly settled on a thick winter dress with long sleeves, a damask patterned bodice, and a fur-trimmed hood. She quickly fixed her hair and applied some makeup before slowly sneaking out of her guest room. Not knowing what to do, she slowly wandered the strangely empty halls of the castle. At last, she came across a Goomba maid who squeaked when she saw her.

"Oh, you're up already? His Lordship said we were not to disturb you for at least another two hours but here you are! His Highness has been up all night planning after you two had talked last night. It seems you've really inspired him! I can take you to the dining hall and you may be able to catch him finishing his breakfast. I'm certain he would enjoy the company…"

Peach wasn't entirely sure she wanted to catch the Koopa King finishing his breakfast, but between being at a loss for things to do and the talkative maid's eager stare, she hesitantly accepted the offer.

"Excellent, the king should be most pleased. Right this way, please, it's a bit of a walk so let's hurry."

Peach's soft-soled ballet flats made pleasant pitter-patter sounds as she walked the stone and red-carpeted castle floors. As she traversed the quiet halls, she looked around and tried to make note of the way back to her room, just in case she needed to make a quick retreat. After the first three minutes of mental note taking, she determined it a hopeless cause and instead paid attention to the castle décor. All of the long twisting hallways had incredibly high ceilings from which amazing chandeliers hung precariously, seemingly defying the laws of physics. On the dark granite walls, there were candelabra and large-scale paintings of the members and ancestors of the Koopa lineage. Some faces she recognized easily, such as Bowser and Junior, but others she had a hard time placing.

Interrupting Peach's musings, the Goomba maid suddenly stopped and said brightly, "Here we are!" She noiselessly swung the heavy door open for the princess who saw Bowser at the end of his long dining table hard at work with his sketchpad, pastry in claw.

Peach chuckled nervously upon seeing Bowser's face, screwed up in concentration. Bowser, who was busy sketching a picture of Peach as his queen, heard the chuckle and quickly looked up to see his sketch drawn into life. Shocked, he dropped his bagel, closed his sketchbook, and stood up to greet Peach in one swift and clumsy motion.

"I--I'm sorry," Peach began with her hands clasped and her eyes cast downward. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Uh," For once, the great Koopa was at a loss for words. "Don't be! I wasn't coming up with any new ideas anyhow. Sit down and tell me everything about holidays in the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Bowser pulled out a chair for Peach and she slowly sat down. "Okay. Well, uh, in my kingdom, we usually have a tree and we decorate it."

"Mm hm, yep, have one of those. I've got the biggest, baddest tree of them all!" he boasted. "Hey, will somebody get in here and get the princess some breakfast? We've got a big day!"

"And I usually make my very special holiday cookies…"

She looked beyond Bowser into the room where they had finally managed to place the large evergreen. Magikoopas were now magically hanging large strands of ribbon and lighting magical candles on the branches. The Koopas hung crystal ornaments that were so beautifully delicate, they looked as though they might shatter if she dared to give them a wrong look.

"Cookies! Of course! My kids love cookies, I mean, they'll love whatever I tell them to love but, I know they'll love anything you make. I mean, why wouldn't they? You're a really good cook and…" _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ Why did he always manage to make himself sound so stupid when she was around?

"Oh, well I'd be happy to make them today. I--I'm the only one who knows the recipe so it has to be me." said Peach, eager for any excuse to spend the day alone or at least away from her awkward "friend", Bowser.

Bowser cleared his throat, "Peach, you're my guest today, I'm not gonna lock you up in the kitchen and make a servant out of you or something," he said trying to think of a way to make sure she stayed with him all day.

"Oh, I really, really don't mind."

"No, that's just not gonna work," he muttered to himself. "Ah, I've thought of a brilliant plan! You will teach me how to make these special cookies and I will make them with you!"

Peach raised her eyebrows and smiled nervously. She said in a high voice, "Yes. That sounds like a _great_ idea." _Oh Stars, what have I gotten myself into? Ugh, the sooner we do this, the sooner it'll be over._ Smiling falsely she said, "Well then, let's begin right away; I'll take my breakfast in the kitchen."

After having yet another small sampling of the kitchen's fine assortment of liqueurs, Peach was feeling much warmer and merrier indeed. Technically, the alcohol was an ingredient for her cookies but, in actuality, it was some small therapy for her shot nerves. Peach tied her apron behind her back and nodded courteously to the head chef who was standing with his legion of _sous-chefs_, all poised at the royal duo's disposal.

"So, first you'll want to measure out the flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients and put them in the bowl," she instructed the Koopa King. Bowser had absolutely no kitchen experience in his entire life apart from the heavily supervised breakfast he had made during Peach's last stay, so he tried as best he could to follow her instructions perfectly. He carefully measured each ingredient, almost down to the individual grain.

"Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, just throw it in! Now, we're going to add the spices."

Bowser watched, entranced as Peach measured tiny spoonfuls of various brown powders, and added them to his flour mixture in the bowl. "That's it? That's all the spice? Look at how much other stuff we have, how is anyone even gonna taste that?" he demanded. "Let's put more!"

"Hey, I thought I was showing you my recipe,"Peach scolded kindly. "Besides," she said as she brought the dish of sparkling brown powder to her nose. "These spices are quite potent, they must be very fresh."

She offered the dish to Bowser, who bent down and took a giant whiff, accidentally inhaling some of the finely ground powder through his nose. Immediately his eyes began to water and he was barely able to turn away before he let out an enormous sneeze and some accompanying fire.

He turned his scrunched up face to Peach, who looked mildly terrified and squeaked, "Bless you."

After washing his claws, Bowser declared that he believed it a better idea for Peach to crack the eggs and in turn, he would be in charge of mixing. He watched in wide-eyed reverence as she nimbly moved about the kitchen with the ease of a seasoned professional. Even as she was just doing something as simple as cracking eggs or measuring oil, her beauty and grace astounded him.

In truth, Bowser had never spent much time with Peach aside from the kidnappings. On their adventures together, Mario had always monopolized her time and made sure to keep Bowser well distanced from the princess. Then, when Bowser kidnapped her, she was usually just screaming or mad the whole time. However, Bowser felt she was beautiful even when angry. Therefore, one could only imagine how entranced he had become while she was calm.

"Bowser?" Interrupting the Koopa King from his daydream, Peach explained, "Um, it's time to mix, did you still want to?"

The startled Bowser replied, "Of course!" He took a long look at the mixing machine, and then he looked at Peach. Then, he looked at the mixing machine again before giving Peach a sheepish smile.

"Oh. The on switch is on the top. You just set the power level and turn it on!"

_Aha! Here we go, time to be the best mixer Peach has ever seen. Full power!_ He quickly turned the dial to the red number nine on the mixer and pressed the "on" button before anyone had a chance to stop him. Before he was fully cognizant of what was happening, he had completely covered his entire face and most of the kitchen in white powdery flour.

He turned to Peach who stood wide-eyed looking at his ghostly white face. She began shaking with laughter until she could not hold it in any more. Bowser burned with angry embarrassment as her clear laughter rang like a bell though the room. She was laughing at him and he hated it; nobody laughed at the Koopa King.

"I--I'm so, so sorry!" she said though giggles, "I should have--ha ha."

She placed her hand lightly on his arm to steady herself, banishing all his previous feelings of anger and embarrassment, replacing them with dreamy butterflies.

She looked into his eyes and said with all the seriousness she could muster, "I should have told you to start at low power. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," he said absently, still concentrating on her hand on his arm. After an awkward silence, Peach realized her hand was still there and quickly removed it.

"Well, uh," said Bowser, recovering his dignity from his awkward situation. "I think the chefs can handle the rest of the cookies. I need your help with something else; it's pretty urgent. I don't usually do holiday presents for my kids because the spoiled brats pretty much get whatever they want all the time, but I was thinking that they'd really like something you had picked out. So, after I, uh, clean up, I'd like to take you on an official tour of the world famous Darklandian Bazaar."

"I would like that," Peach said softly.


	11. The Bazaar & The Bizarre

**A/N: Hello history lesson. I'd been reading other people's fics for fun and inspiration. Kudos to MikariStar and her fic, **_**Secret Origin**_** for giving me the inspiration for the part regarding Junior. Yes, I've been updating faster than I've been writing (I'm not a machine!) but I've trying to catch up with myself because I have a nagging paranoia about hard drive failure or somehow losing the rest of my story. I should probably stick it on a USB or something, I would just hate for anyone to find it**. **(Because I'm a secret writer, as it were. IRL, my friends and family do NOT know me as a person to write novel-length romance stories about video game characters, and in some regards, I'd like to keep it that way. With all the time I spend secret writing, a few of my friends think I've got a secret lover on the side, lol!)** **Hope you enjoy the chapter, thanks to all of you for being the best secret lovers ever.

* * *

**

Mario sat bored on another snowy Friday. He sighed at he looked over at his brother, hard at work on his latest video game. Mama would be coming for the holidays and she would be eager to meet Princess Toadstool. She would probably nose about in her typical fashion and ask Peach for details concerning their relationship. Mario shuddered to think of Mama discovering any part of his little white lie.

_I'll just tell Mama that it's a surprise and that she shouldn't mention anything to the princess._ He was saddened at the prospect of having to lie about his feelings to both his Mama and the princess. He wondered about how he might stop his lie from catching up with him. _Maybe I can convince Mama that the princess rejected me._ Suddenly an image flashed in his head of his strong-willed Mama chasing Princess Peach with a frying pan. He would not want to do that to Peach.

Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He looked at his phone and his heart leapt. It was Pauline! He had been waiting for weeks for her to call, too nervous to call her himself.

He quickly answered.

"Mario? Oh my Stars! Listen; do you know what a hard time I had trying to find your phone number? I was afraid I'd never get a hold of you. Why didn't you call?" As Mario opened his mouth to apologize, Pauline continued. "Never mind, I'm just glad that I found it because I finally scored a ticket to my play for you. They're completely sold out, you wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get just one, and I'm the lead in the show! Is there a time you can meet me to pick the ticket up and maybe get something to drink?"

All of Mario's previous apprehension faded away with Pauline's invitation. After he made his plans on the phone he wondered if he might convince Mama that Pauline was Princess Peach, after all, Pauline was an actress. He sighed. _Mama mia, that's just stupid.

* * *

_

"Well Princess, here we are," Bowser said grandly as the Clown Car touched the snow covered ground of the Darklandian Bazaar. "This place can be thick with thieves and while I doubt they'd try anything while I'm around, a little caution never hurt. Besides, it's always crowded and I'd hate for you to get lost so, if you don't mind." Bowser offered his arm to Peach. She looked at him questioningly and then slowly and carefully placed her dainty gloved hand on his arm, sending shivers down his spine.

The bazaar was just as Bowser had described on the way; it was loud, exotic, and extremely crowded. Stalls lined each side of the long alleyway selling almost everything you could ever imagine. Peach thought it looked a great deal like the seasonal farmer's market in her kingdom, except far more exciting.

"First things first," said Bowser, eying his favorite stand in the whole bazaar. "When I was a Koopaling, I always made Kamek stop here and buy me a drink."

Bowser took a couple coins out of his wallet and flipped them to the merchant. "Two of the usual," he growled. Turning to Peach with a cup of steaming beverage he said, "This stuff is amazing, you've gotta try it."

Peach accepted the cup and blew on the liquid to cool it off. She could not help but notice the points and stares of most everyone in the street. Many Darklandians had never seen Peach in person before, and certainly never this close to their ruler. Trying to ignore Bowser's subjects, Peach took a small sip of her sweet milky drink.

"Oh, this is--this is really good and _really_ spicy!" She smiled. "So, speaking of kids, tell me more about your children so I'll know what sorts of presents to look for." She did not want to admit it, but she was having a good time amidst the enchanting scenery and she also loved the idea of bringing a smile to a child's face with some gifts. The only thing that was stopping her day from being perfect was her misgivings about her occasionally awkward host.

"Humph, where do I start?" he asked, strolling though the alley with Peach on his arm. "My oldest is Ludwig. He's a sharp one, but a lot of the time he doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm pretty sure he's just _like that_ on purpose. He's kinda…reclusive; he's into music, like, opera music," he said, making a face.

"Does he compose?" Peach asked politely.

"All the time; but half the stuff he won't let anyone see or listen to, so what good is it? He says it's 'personal'. My next oldest is my boy Roy; he's a chip off the old block," he chuckled. "Yeah, he thinks he's the biggest, baddest, and coolest Koopa after me, and he won't let anyone else forget it either."

"I see." She giggled, imagining a miniature Bowser striking poses.

"Uh, after that, there are the twins, Iggy and Lemmy. They like to mess around a lot and play pranks like a couple of clowns. Iggy is some kind of great engineer though; he's always building some new machine, and Lemmy can balance on a ball like nobody's business. I guess they're putting on some variety show at school this semester; whatever that is."

Peach listened in silence as Bowser beamed about his kids. It was unusual to see him so happy and this excited about something other than himself.

"Then there's Wendy, she's a real case. She's really into fashion and all kinds of weird girl stuff. She's definitely a tough cookie, though. Next in line there's Morton and he, well, he loves to talk, whether you want him to or not. He wants to talk really tough and stand up to Roy, but he isn't big enough to back it up yet."

Peach had lost her place trying to keep up with mental notes about each Koopaling. There were so many! She figured that Bowser would be happy to remind her about each of them.

"Let's see, then there's Larry. Jeez, that kid has a ton of energy. He's little and fast, and is really into sports. He can already almost beat me at tennis--almost. Lastly, there's Junior. You've met him haven't you?"

Peach recalled her last vacation to Isle Delfino when Junior stole Mario's identity and kidnapped her. "Yes, I believe I have," she said with an eye roll.

"He tries really hard to be just like his old man but he never will be…he's too nice. I think the servants baby him because he's the youngest and also because he can be a whiny little brat."

"Too nice?"

"Yeah, he's a real softie; he cries easily and tries to get all cute. Don't be fooled though, he's a crafty one too."

The royal couple continued strolling though the bazaar, happily chatting and purchasing presents for the young Koopalings until they had eight tightly wrapped parcels ready to be taken home. On the way back to the castle, Peach looked over at Bowser who was contentedly piloting the Clown Car.

"Um," she started. "That was--I had fun. Thank you," she said slowly.

Bowser's heart fluttered. She had fun! With him! She had fun with him as if they were on a date.

"When do the kids arrive?" she asked

"Tomorrow morning," he said cheerfully. He could not wait to see the looks of surprise on their eight little faces when he announced their guest.

"Well, I guess we'd better wrap these presents tonight then," she thought aloud

"Wrap them? They're already wrapped!" Peach gave him an exasperated look. "But, I guess they should be wrapped better?" He had no idea women could be so particular about these things, but he was excited for the chance to have another activity with Peach.

Back at the castle, maids prepared a room full of luxurious papers, fabrics, ribbons, and bows for royal usage while the monarchs enjoyed a well-deserved dinner in the dining room.

Goombriella, one of the maids put to the task, nudged her pretty coworker. "Did you hear the gossip?" she whispered excitedly.

"No, I haven't been near a radio or seen a tabloid all week, what's going on?"

"The whole kingdom is buzzing about it, Princess Toadstool and His Highness were seen all over the bazaar today talking and laughing and walking _arm in arm_."

"No! You must be joking. Really? That's really something; I never thought I'd see the day when that girl finally came to her senses. They haven't been this close since--"

"Quiet!" Goombriella hissed. "They're coming!"

Peach's clear and beautiful laughter heralded their arrival to the paper filled room. Peach immediately took a seat on the soft rug on the floor and Bowser, with some effort, followed suit.

"I've never done this before either." He said matter-of-factly.

Peach smiled and grabbed the first present, a special-effects kit for Iggy. The kit came complete with fireworks, bubbles, smoke, mist, cold fire, and a director's wand to make it all work.

"Well then, how about you pick out the paper and some matching ribbon and I'll wrap it?" she suggested.

Bowser responded by picking a glittery green paper with brown ribbon. "Does this work?"

"Perfect, those colors look beautiful together." Sensing how much he enjoyed receiving praise, Peach had been carefully trying to provide selective small praise in hopes that it would simultaneously encourage "good" behavior, such as being friendly and hospitable; and discourage "bad" behavior, such as kidnapping her and being threatening.

_You're beautiful. _He watched her delicate hands fold the paper and expertly wrap each parcel.

They continued wrapping, Bowser occasionally lending his finger to hold a ribbon in place as Peach tied it.

"So, do Koopas usually have this many kids?" Peach asked.

"Nah, big families like mine were a little more traditional in the old days when times were bad; when there were wars and you didn't know who was gonna make it."

"What about you? Do you come from a big family?"

"Nope, I was only child. I guess my folks were gonna have more but they never really got that chance."

"Oh?"

"Uh, do you remember hearing about the last Darklandian war, or were you too young?"

"Admittedly it's a little before my time, but I've read on it a little."

"Well, it turns out, that arranged marriage that my dad stepped away from probably would've prevented the war. Stuff between the nations was already pretty bad and the marriage was supposed to patch stuff up. Problem was, the princess was a real pain in the ass, and my dad was already in love. So, when he walked away from this princess to marry some peasant girl, she was pretty much outraged! She called it a 'humiliating disgrace' and vowed vengeance. Let's just say she got it. On my mom and my dad."

"Oh no! I'm so sorry. If you don't mind me asking, what happened next? I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of any of this before, and it's my job to know!"

"Well, it makes sense; we were still at war, so there was a big cover-up. Then, I became king in title, but things were still really unstable and wartime is really no time for a Koopaling to be king. So, the council appointed Kamek to be my chief adviser; which really means he took over for me. From then on, I spent almost my whole childhood learning how to be a king. That's why I'm so good at it! But, when I finally got to the throne, I was really angry and all I wanted was revenge. It turns out that the other kingdom was mostly already destroyed by good old corruption and civil war by the time I got to it."

"So what did you do?"

"Uh," Bowser halted, looking at Peach's innocently hopeful face. She had stopped wrapping presents in order to listen to his story with rapt attention. He wasn't going to lie, but he didn't want to tell her the gritty truth, after all, he had almost done the same thing to her kingdom. "I don't think it's a good idea that you know. I was young and really angry. I wanted revenge on everyone."

"Oh," said Peach, suddenly very quiet. Bowser had always been a menace to the Mushroom Kingdom but she supposed she had taken it for granted that he had never made a serious military move on her land.

"Yeah. I don't say it very often but, sometimes I feel kinda bad about it. But, now that land is all part of the Darklands and being under my rule is way better than whatever messed up situation they were heading into."

They continued to wrap a gilded megaphone for Morton, a new ball for Lemmy, an ornate composition journal for Ludwig, a lil' oink bank for Roy, a jeweled and feathered headpiece for Wendy, a badminton set for Larry, and a magic art kit for Junior.

"Mm," Peach stretched as she yawned, "That was a lot of work, and I'm pretty tired. Which way to my room?"

Bowser was sad to see her off so early, but was also unwilling to push his luck. "It's kinda tricky; I'll just take you there, if you want."

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

Bowser slowly lead Peach though the extravagant palace halls in relative silence.

He fumbled for something to say as they reached her door, but Peach spoke first. "Before I go to bed, is it possible that I may speak with Kitty and Kamea, the assistants that previously attended me?"

Taken aback by the seemingly arbitrary request, Bowser stammered, "Well, yeah, you can do whatever you want but...why?"

"I have some personal matters to attend to and I may require some assistance. Please?"

Bowser, burning with curiosity, thanked the stars he could remember which ones were Kamea and Kitty. He summoned the two attendants and, after the three girls left him standing alone in the dim hallway, was given no choice but to return to his room.

* * *

Kamea rolled her eyes and stood up from her comfortable perch on a plush ottoman. "He's finally gone."

Peach smiled at her old friends and then took a deep breath, "I have decided that I want to get a present for King Bowser," she said hesitantly. "But, it looks like I'll be busy with tasks and preparations and won't have any time to pick anything up."

Kitty smiled widely. "That's great! I'm sure His Highness will be so happy!"

"So, I thought I might ask you, if it's not too much trouble, to pick something up for me and deliver it to my room."

"We can get you anything; it's no trouble at all. What would you like to get him?"

"Well, when I was looking at all of those portraits on the wall, I noticed that they were mostly of him and some of the previous kings and there were hardly any pictures of his kids or, more importantly, him with his kids. So, I was thinking it would be really nice to give a photo album that could be full of pictures of the Koopa family."

"A wonderful idea," Kamea replied. "We'll have one made to your specifications and delivered post-haste. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"I don't think so, I think I'm just going to take the night off and relax. Thank you so much."

After the girls left, Peach changed into her warmest pajamas. Thinking about her day as she removed the glittering pins from her hair, she wondered about the Koopaling's arrival tomorrow. Would they like the decorations? Would they like her? For some unknown reason, Peach felt a nervous excitement about tomorrow's introductions and suddenly, she was no longer feeling very sleepy.

She opened the bedside drawer with the chocolate truffles and smiled to herself as she took the truffle with the prettiest design. If she was going to be here, she figured, she might as well enjoy the amenities. The white chocolate truffle had creamy lemon chiffon filling that made her feel giddy in just one bite. Pulling the rest of the truffles out of the drawer, she decided she would watch a video to take her mind off her day. Once again, amidst the various shows and movies available, a tape with a white label and an untidy black scrawl, which read Koopa Family Home Movies (Vol. III), caught her interest.

"Hm, maybe the Koopalings will be in this, so I can see what they're like before I meet them tomorrow," she said to herself, rationalizing her decision to watch the tape. _I'm sure nobody would mind, after all, the tape is in my room with other things I'm supposed to watch. _Nonetheless, she turned the volume down on the television before she pressed play and waited anxiously for the movie to start. Peach's reward was an extreme close up of an aged Koopa's face.

"It's on!" As the camera panned out, Peach could see that the aged face belonged to Kammy, who was operating the camera. "It's a momentous occasion today; we are witnessing the birth of Lord Bowser's eighth and presumably final son! What have you got to say, Your Highness?" she asked, panning in on a worried looking Bowser who was sitting with his head in his hands.

"First of all, Crone Face, I've only got six sons, 'cause Wendy's a girl. That makes Junior my seventh son. Now turn that damn thing off, every time you run it something bad happens or it makes me look stupid."

"But My Lord, don't you want this on record? Not only is this royal history, the birth of another glorious prince, but it is scientific history, the first Koopa-Human hybrid, made possible by magic."

"Don't call him a hybrid, Worm Breath. He's my son."

"My apologies." The camera panned right to view a large egg swaddled in a torn pink cloth, which bore a strong resemblance to a dress Peach had once ripped while being kidnapped by Bowser. She could never forget it; the dress was one of her favorites at the time. The egg was reddish-orange and slightly marbled with light spots on top. It looked warm in front of the large brass fireplace where a fire was roaring to simulate the inner-warmth that would radiate from a Koopa mother.

"I told you to turn that thing off. You'll probably jinx everything and he'll come out with three--! He's hatching!"

Despite Bowser's demand, Kammy angled the camera for a close-up on the hatching egg, which now had a large crack in the middle.

"C'mon, buddy, you can do it. Let's go." cooed Bowser's voice in the background. Peach froze with morbid anticipation as she quickly ate yet another lemony truffle. How odd to hear Bowser speaking like that, so soft and worried.

Finally, a tiny claw, covered in goop, broke out of the shell. Then came the next claw and a bit of the head until the egg tumbled over and a small, wet Junior dragged himself out of the remainder of the shell.

"He looks--he looks--well, he looks just like you, Sire." Kammy said.

"Yeah," said Bowser, in a tired and disappointed voice. Meanwhile, Junior had fallen onto his side and given a tiny yawn. "Maybe it didn't work." At this, Junior turned to the camera and his eyelids parted for the very first time, revealing bright, shining, innocent blue eyes, which reflected the flickering light of the fire.

"S-Sire, you may want to see this."

Alarmed, Bowser roared, "What! What's wrong? What did you do?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong, see for yourself."

The camera lost focus as Bowser picked up his newborn son for the very first time and saw his eyes. The Koopa King's own eyes filled with tears and he shouted, "It worked! I can't believe it. I really did it. This is my son, Kammy," he beamed, looking over at the old Magikoopa. He changed tones as he noticed the running camera. "Kammy! If I have to tell you one more time to turn that thing off, I will personally charbroil both you and the camera."

"Yes My Lord, sorry."

Peach stared blankly at the snowing screen. Those eyes! She looked into the vanity mirror at her own shiny blue eyes. That cloth! She recalled the soft, slippery feeling of the silky pink fabrics of her favorite dresses. On Isle Delfino, Junior had called her Mama Peach.

_A Koopa-Human hybrid? Did Bowser…? No, why would he…_? The more she thought, the less sense anything made and the uneasier she felt. She instantly regretted watching the movie and quickly rewound it, wishing that she could do the same to her mind. She carefully replaced the tape in its original position, turned out the lights and tried to silence her thoughts to drift into an anxious sleep.


	12. Your Presents are Requested

**A/N: I know I haven't said it in a while, so I'd like to remind everyone that I'm not affiliated with Nintendo, I don't own any characters, I'm not getting paid for writing this, I'm just goofing off, having fun, and posting it to a website; because I love the games and I love the storyline (and most of all, I love you.) I'm looking toward the future a little and I put up a poll on my profile, if you care. I have a few ideas flapping around in my head, and I just wanted to know where my reader's heads are at, as far as which they might like to see first. I don't intend to start writing another story until I'm done with this though so don't worry. **

**Also, I made several minor changes and updates to the other chapters. Little things like grammar and bits of dialogue that were a little OOC for my tastes; so it's not your imagination. By the way, I really do go back and correct other chapters that I've already posted, quite regularly. So, if you see anything wrong, bad, or clunky, tell me specifically. If I agree, I'll run and fix it! Despite my own preaching, I don't have a beta for this, but I do what I can to make it right. Enjoy!

* * *

**

Larry stood on the deck of his school's large, elegant airship and aligned his body in preparation. _I've gotta practice my fire so it'll be perfect when I show King Dad._ He squared his shoulders, straightened his spine, inhaled deeply and then--

"Boo!" screamed Iggy as Lemmy threw his ball to hit Larry in the back of the head. Immediately, Larry choked on his own fire and black smoke emanated from his mouth and nostrils.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"What is _wrong_ with you guys?" Larry croaked. Regaining his composure, he explained huffily that he was trying to practice his fire breathing so he could impress King Dad when they got home.

"Well, it's a good thing we're here," began Iggy. "Because--"

"_Yer doin' it wrong_!" they chanted in gleeful unison.

Larry gave the twins a murderous scowl and reluctantly received tips from his elder brothers. After a few rounds of practice, Larry noticed a few snowflakes drifting through the air. "Guys. Guys!" he called to his brothers, a small wisp of breath appearing before his eyes. "Look, it's snowing! What's going on? It never snows at home."

Larry, Iggy, and Lemmy all looked over the edge of the railing and saw the familiar terrain of their kingdom covered in white snow and colorful lights.

"Something big must be going on down below," Iggy replied sagely. "It doesn't look dangerous but it smells like magic."

"Doncha mean it smells like smelly old Kamek who smells like old books and cabbage and electricity and—" The three brothers groaned as Morton stepped on to the deck. "Why the heck is it so cold out here? I hate the cold. Almost as much as I hate that dumb, stupid, fat, ugly, no-good, doo-doo head—"

"Morton, shut up and come look!" Larry cried.

"Hey! You don't tell me to shut up you stupid-face, dumb-butt, puny--OW!" Morton let out a cry of pain and then a gasp as Lemmy silently grabbed Morton by the back of his neck and forcibly turned his face to look over the edge of the airship. "What is it?"

"It's snow, you moron. It's been snowing since you've been out here, didn't you see?"

"Okay, what is the deal with all of this noise out here?" Wendy came up on the deck, heels clicking on the wooden planks. "Can't a girl get any beauty sleep without her obnoxious brothers wreaking--what, snow?" Her pink lips curved into a rare smile as she noticed the lights down below. "Oh. My. Stars! Do you guys _know_ what this is?"

"What?" her brothers cried in unison.

"It's, like, a holiday celebration from the Mushroom Kingdom! Obviously, Daddy set it up to welcome us. You have no idea how _tres chic_ this is! I didn't know Daddy knew anything about what was in style!" Wendy began taking pictures with her camera phone to send to all of her school friends who would inevitably consume themselves with jealousy.

The great airship creaked as it slowed and prepared for landing in the Darklandian Castle's hangar. The Koopalings chatted excitedly as the ship made its descent.

* * *

Peach smoothed her dress and straightened her crown for what felt like the hundredth time that day. For some inexplicable reason, she felt nervous at the prospect of meeting eight miniature Bowsers. Peach's upbringing had left her with a nagging desire for acceptance, even from the Darklandian royal family. She glanced nervously over at Bowser who was standing in hallway outside the hangar, waiting impatiently for his children to arrive. She smiled as she noticed his eager tail, swishing back and forth. What an odd sight to see Bowser so happy, especially when that happiness did not revolve around doing some kind of misdeed.

"Sire," said Kammy. "Airship number 2-2-3 departing from the Darklandian Academy has requested permission to land in hangar space number sixteen. Permission to land granted?"

"You know it!" Bowser grinned. The little brats were finally here!

Peach straightened her dress one more time and made an effort to stand taller. She took a deep breath and heard the airship land. Bowser ran inside the hangar to greet his kids leaving Peach behind, standing in the hallway in anticipation.

Because he was the smallest Koopaling, the older Koopalings repeatedly pushed Junior out of the way and so, despite being the first Koopaling to the door, he was the last Koopaling to leave the airship. He tripped as he disembarked, tumbling down the ramp to stop at his father's feet. "King Dad!" he squealed and gave Bowser's leg a mighty hug. "I missed you."

Bowser shook his head. What was he going to do with his little weakling? He smiled and picked up his little son. "Of course you did! Well, I'm here now, so you can just forget about all of that!"

Goombas and Paratroopas began working to unload the Koopaling's luggage and prepare the ship for its return to the academy.

"Listen up!" Bowser called to his kids. "I've got a surprise for you guys. I know you love being mean and, normally, I'd say that's a good thing; but for a little while, you're gonna have to be good."

All the Koopalings looked at their dad as if he had gone insane. _Be good?! Why!?_

"You'll know more when we get inside, but seriously…please?"

Now the Koopalings knew it was officially serious. Their dad never ever asked nicely or said "please" to anyone except when it was very important. "I'll be good, Daddy, just for you!" said Wendy with a conceited smile.

"Ew, shut up, Wendy. You'd neva be any good even if you were sleepin'" Roy scoffed, disgusted by his annoying little sister.

"Oh yeah? If I can't do it, then you like, don't have a prayer because you're nothing but a royal pain in the ass!"

"Enough!" Bowser yelled. "Both of you haven't even been here for two minutes and you haven't managed to stay good for even that long. Do as I say or I will feed you _and your luggage _to the Piranha Plants."

All the Koopalings were quiet after this, as they walked towards the door, waiting to see what surprise awaited them.

Bowser Jr. trotted happily by his dad's side, happy to be home. To keep up with his dad's longer stride he had to jog a little, but it was well worth it to be next to his ultimate role model. As they opened the door, his little stomach was full of butterflies.

_Maybe it's a rocket ship, or a room full of ice cream sundaes or maybe--_ Junior's thoughts were interrupted as the door swung open to reveal the surprise. The familiar pink dress, blond hair, and the best smell he had even known. It was Mama Peach!

The other Koopalings were similarly shocked, having never seen Mama Peach so close before in real life. Ludwig quickly stepped to the front and began introducing himself and the older Koopalings began to follow suit.

Junior was terrified. This was both the best and worst surprise he could think of. He wanted to rush out and give her a hug right away, but he was worried that she might be mad at him for ruining her vacation with Mario the last time he saw her. He stared up at her with his frightened blue eyes. She was smiling and she did not look mad, but he still could not be sure.

Amidst all the commotion of introductions and greetings, Peach glanced down and looked into Junior's identical blue eyes with an expression of wonder. _Is it possible that we are somehow related?_

Mistaking Peach's quizzical glance, Junior panicked and ran from the hallway. _She looked at me funny! She doesn't like me anymore! What am I gonna do? The wand!_

Junior ran up to his room and fetched the handmade wand from his bag. It was not quite as pretty as the Star Rod and it did not have any real powers but he hoped his Mama Peach would like it anyhow and might accept it as propitiation.

His eyes shone as he suddenly thought of another idea. Wand in hand, he ran as fast as he could to Kamek's office. He burst through the old wooden door only to find Kamek was not in his office. He pulled Kamek's rolling chair over to the bookshelf and stood on it to reach a large instrument that looked like the bell on a phonograph.

Junior shouted into the horn as loud as he could, "Kamek!"

Kamek appeared in a puff of purple smoke, looking half annoyed and half charmed. "Welcome home, Little Prince, and may I take the time to remind you that, while it may be hard to believe, it is _not_ necessary to yell into the communicator."

"Little?" Junior replied, the unintended insult temporarily causing him to forget his mission, "I'm not little! One day, I'm gonna be big and strong like King Dad! Look at how big my muscles are!" He said with a little flex and a serious look on his face.

"Yes, yes, my mistake, Sire. I'm old and don't see very well, but now that you've called it to my attention, I can indeed see that you've grown! Why, you're almost taller than I am! Now that we've gotten that cleared up, what can I help you with this afternoon? I'm surprised you're not out seeing your Mama Peach, aren't you excited to see her?"

Junior shuffled his feet and looked down as he remembered why he had come. "I think Mama Peach is mad at me," he said sadly

"Why do you think that? Whatever for?"

"When she went on vacation with that bad man Mario, I tried to rescue her, but I think I messed up and spoiled her fun." He produced the wand from behind his back. "I made this at school for Mama Peach but I want it to have real magic powers, not just pretend ones."

Kamek smiled in his grandfatherly way. For a Koopaling, Junior was exceptionally tenderhearted, almost considerate. Kamek thought this made him decidedly pleasant to be around, especially compared to his siblings. In his old age, Kamek often felt he just could no longer deal with the Koopalings constant antics. He looked the wand over carefully.

"Hm, polymer clay, light wood from a young tree, silk ribbons, and glass jewels; a fine piece of art, Young Lord, but I'm afraid even if I imbued it with magic, the materials couldn't hold the magic, and it would all seep out before you had a chance to give it to Her Highness." Kamek gave an apologetic smile to Junior who looked crestfallen and on the verge of tears.

"You mean there's nothing we can do?" Junior cried woefully.

Kamek's heart went out to the little monster. This was obviously very important to him. "Well now, let's not give up hope," he said, rummaging through an old treasure chest. He located his target, a small box full of round cut crystals that were slightly smaller than coins. He pulled out a bright blue one and showed it to the hopeful prince.

"Since you came in so earnestly, I'm going to give you one of my old treasures. If we put this crystal in the middle of your wand it'll hold a little bit of power, mind you, it has its limitations."

"What's a limitation?"

"They're kind of like rules. A rule for this wand will be that it can only do nice things. I think your Mama Peach would agree with that rule, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Another rule is that it can only do small things, because it's only a small crystal. The last rule is that your Mama Peach has to really want the wish to come true, otherwise the wand won't respond."

"Why?"

"Well, because your Mama Peach really has some magic of her own, and the wand will need to tap into that magic to make it work. I don't think she knows how to use her magic but, sometimes when she really needs something, it works anyhow."

"Wow, really? That's neat!" Junior said brightly, watching eagerly as Kamek grafted the crystal onto the wand. "Thanks for helping Grandpa!"

_Grandpa?_ Kamek watched the littlest prince bolt down the hall. None of the Koopalings had ever called him that before, but he liked it, quite a lot.

* * *

Peach sat quietly, enchanted by all of the conversation she heard around her, as the family was finishing lunch. She was worried about Junior, whom she had not seen since he ran off in the hallway; however, it was difficult to focus amidst all the chatter and cries for her attention.

"Mama Peach," Morton yelled. "You have to hear my super awesome, super funny joke I made up yesterday!"

At this, even Bowser groaned. One listen to the auditory torture that were Morton's jokes would surely have her instantly dialing the Mario Brothers for rescue. Instead, he decided to be her savior by suggesting that everybody gather around to open presents. The Koopalings whooped, cheered, ran to the giant tree, and waited to shred the carefully wrapped parcels.

Suddenly, Junior appeared in the doorway, gave Mama Peach a shy smile, and joined his siblings, ignoring his father's frown.

In the living room, a Goomba maid started a fire in the fireplace as Bowser gave Peach the honor of handing out the presents.

"Here you go, and here's one for Roy and one for Lemmy, and one for Junior," she said smiling softly as she gently handed him his present.

He cast his eyes downward and mumbled, "Thank you, Mama Peach."

"And this last one is for Bowser," she said brightly.

Hearing his name, Bowser, who had been watching Peach gracefully interact with his children, snapped out of his daydream and looked surprised. "For me? Who's it from?"

"The tooth fairy," she said teasingly, as she handed him the package.

_She--she got me a present!_ He had never received a present from the princess before. He could barely keep his tail from wagging frantically and impatiently waited for his turn to open his gift.

Knowing the Koopalings would only bicker if asked to take turns, Peach wisely opted to have everyone open their presents at the same time. "Okay, everybody open!" Peach cheered.

All at once, the room was loud with the sound of ripping and tearing and throwing box lids, shouts, and laughs. They tossed ribbons and paper everywhere. As the commotion stopped, all the Koopalings sat in admiration of their gifts.

It certainly was not the case that they did not have enough stuff. Bowser was correct when he mentioned that the Koopalings often got whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. The fact was that the Koopalings had never received gifts from anyone they liked so much as their Mama Peach and they knew that these gifts must be very special.

Most enchanted of all, was Bowser himself, who sat transfixed, turning the pages of his photo album. The cover of the book was a beautiful black with gold embellishments and every page was made of thick creamy parchment, lovingly stitched into the binding.

Peach gasped in astonishment as she discovered that on the first page, the first photo was already present, a picture of the Koopalings tearing into their gifts, little shreds of paper floating through the air, a red ribbon stuck in Peach's hair.

A note from Kamea fell from inside the book. It read:

_Dear Peach,_

_We hope the book is to your liking. So that Your Highnesses never have to be bothered with remembering a camera on your adventures, we have placed a spell on the book to record pictures automatically._

_Sincerely,  
Kamea and Kitty_

Before Peach knew what was going on, Bowser had scooped her up into a big hug. She felt her body stiffen, but also found his warmth and overflowing happiness to be strangely pleasant. "Thanks... this is the most awesome present I've ever gotten from anyone ever."

When Bowser finally let go, Peach sat down, confused about her strange reaction to the hug. "It was nothing." she replied softly, slightly dazed.

However, she did not have much time to ponder as Junior suddenly piped up, "Mama Peach? I have something for you too!"

The other Koopalings stared in disbelief and jealousy as Junior handed the wand to Peach. "It's a Star Rod, like the one King Dad used to have, except I made it, but it has real powers."

"Oh?" Peach asked quizzically, holding the pretty trinket in her hand, "What does it do?"

"It's a Star Rod, so it grants wishes!" He asserted, as if it should be obvious.

"Oh, I see, well maybe I should try it!" She gave the wand a graceful swish and said with a laugh, "I wish for chocolate pudding!"

She stared at the empty spot where she pointed the wand. As she expected, no chocolate pudding appeared but she smiled broadly. To the confusion of the Koopalings, she grabbed an imaginary bowl of chocolate pudding and pretended to enjoy a big, exaggerated bite.

"Mm, this is great pudding, thank you so much Junior!"

"No, Mama Peach, no! I know you're just pretending, okay! It really has magic powers but Kamek says it has lemon-tations!"

"Well," proclaimed Bowser. "The wand might have, uh, lemon-tations, but I don't! If Mama Peach wants chocolate pudding, I say we have chocolate pudding!" The Koopalings cheered and grabbed their presents in preparation to run back to the dining hall. "But first, what do you twerps say to Mama Peach?"

The younger Koopalings spun around in confusion.

"The magic words," he added, offering a glare to anyone who would dare to say "Abracadabra".

"Thank you!" The Koopalings chanted in unison, coming over to give hugs.

When the Koopalings had run out of the room to go claim their chocolate pudding, Peach noticed Bowser was still sitting, tapping his fingers nervously as he fiddled with a white envelope.

"Uh, is everything alright? Are you coming too?" Peach asked softly, recalling her pleasantly awkward hug.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Better than fine, it's really good." He looked up into her concerned blue eyes and he felt like his stomach leaped into his throat preventing him from talking properly. He turned red, looked down, and extended the envelope to her, "Uh, for you."

"Oh!" She gingerly opened the gold foil-lined envelope to reveal two tickets to a theatrical performance later that evening.

Bowser quickly stammered, "It's the same as that book, you know, the one you were reading the last time you were here. I-- I got two tickets 'cause I didn't think you'd wanna go alone. I thought maybe you'd like to go, um, with me but, you can take anyone, 'cause they're yours and, you know."

Peach smiled shyly; there was that weird feeling again. Perhaps he was so nervous because he had probably never given anyone a present before, only received presents. She was not sure how she felt about spending yet another night alone with the Koopa King, but it would certainly be rude to refuse to go, or to go without him.

She looked into his eyes and smiled carefully, causing his stomach to flip all over again. She slowly said, "I would be honored to have Your Highness accompany me at the theater."

Her reticent manner of acceptance was not exactly what he was hoping for, but the general fact was that she accepted his invitation! He could barely focus on the conversation while everyone was eating chocolate pudding. _She said yes, she said yes!_ He daydreamed, trying to imagine what the evening would be like, a difficult task, since he had never been to that kind of theater before.

Soon, everyone had finished their pudding and Peach was ushered away to get ready for the evening's activities. As Peach entered her room, she noticed a Koopaling with a giant polka-dotted bow slammed the door shut behind her.

"Hello Mama Peach," Wendy said with a devious smile.


	13. An Excellent Play

**A/N: Woo, another personal record in chapter length! In this chapter, we have fluff and lots of it. Enjoy!

* * *

**

Peach sat down on her bed slowly as Wendy eyed her with a sense of maniacal glee.

"So like, I'm going to be helping you get ready for your date with King Dad!"

"Date?" Peach asked. "No, no, please don't misunderstand. This isn't a date, this is…" she scrambled to find a proper word. "A meeting."

"Oopsie, my bad, did I say date? I'm so sure I _meant _to say meeting! I understand, this is all totally about politics, for sure." Wendy giggled to herself in her impish way. She began to go through Peach's wardrobe to find a dress for her.

"No," she said, throwing a pink dress over her shoulder. "No." Another dress made its way onto a small pile. "No. Like, none of these dresses will work. Maids!"

"Oh, I don't want to be an inconvenience. These dresses are beautiful, surely there must be--"

"I _said_ no." Wendy demanded, with a frightening look on her face. She counted off the problems on her claws," It's way too cold to wear silk, cotton is, like, totally pedestrian, velvet…ick, and all of these dresses are pink." Wendy continued before Peach had a chance to ask what was so wrong with pink, "Despite that totally obnoxious, hairy, fat man that you hang out with; King Dad's favorite color is still _red_, Mama Peach. Red. So that's what you're going to wear."

"But--"

"Don't you _want_ King Dad to be happy?"

"Well, I suppose so but I hardly think--"

"Good. Well you, like, keep on doing that hardly thinking thing while I go get your makeup together. And you can, like, leave those _gloves_ in the _drawer_ where they belong!"

Peach opened her mouth in astonishment as various attendants came to take her measurements. What nerve, what cheek! No one had ever spoken to her like that in her entire life and somehow, it made her feel extremely helpless. She resigned herself to standing like a scarecrow while attendants measured her. _She's still a foreign monarch, her father's only daughter as well. As long as I'm in her castle, I guess I'll have to play by her rules.

* * *

_

Bowser shifted uncomfortably in his formal shell, the shiny black shell just did not have the same comfortable feel as his regular one, and it certainly did not help matters that he was exceptionally nervous. Still, he gazed longingly up the stairs, waiting to see his lovely Peach all dressed up to go out with him. No matter how many times he thought about it, he still could not believe it was real. He was expecting that any moment he would wake up and find himself in bed, all alone again or, worse still, a servant would come down the stairs and inform him that Peach had changed her mind. He twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"Dad!" Bowser could hear Junior's cries long before he could see him. "Dad?"

"What is it?" he yelled. Could Junior not see that he was trying to concentrate?

"King Dad, no yelling!" he whined. "I have something very important to give you!" Junior handed his dad a bottle of unscented lotion and a small clear bag filled with candy.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Bowser asked gruffly.

Junior sighed. Yet another adult was asking a perfectly obvious question. He cried out in exasperation, "Roy says to impress the ladies, you gotta be smooth! But Iggy and Lemmy said that's not right, they said you gotta be sweet! I didn't know which one was right so I just brought both, okay?"

Bowser looked at his naïve little tenderhearted son and rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks Junior."

Junior gave his dad a cheery smile and a thumbs up before scampering away to join the others. Bowser looked down at a little bag of sweets Junior had brought for Peach. Soft little chocolate balls coated in a fine chocolate dust and some strawberry poof sweeties. He looked to the left, and he looked to the right. Satisfied that nobody was around to see, he put a little bit of the lotion on his scaly claws. _Guess it can't hurt to try.

* * *

_

The girl Koopaling stood on the bed with two strings in her hands and her foot on the small of Peach's back. "Okay Mama Peach, breathe in," she instructed.

Peach felt a swift tightening in her lower abdomen. With shallow breaths, she managed to tell Wendy that it was "a little hard to breathe."

Wendy placed her hands on her hips, sighed, and then slightly loosened the corset. She certainly would not want to be the one held responsible if Mama Peach were to pass out during the date. She called the attendants to assist Peach in putting on the remaining pieces of the one-shouldered, deep crimson gown and to tie tiny red roses in her flowing hair.

Peach was lost in a frenzy of activity as Goombas pushed her here and there, chaotically turning her while pulling fabrics over her head and draping her with finery. She noticed a pretty Paratroopa with a yellow shell placing the flowers in her hair before Wendy demanded that Peach shut her eyes for the application of various powders and sprays. As quickly as the activity began, it seemed to be over. Peach opened her eyes and stared at herself in the full-length mirror.

"Wow Mama Peach, you look, like, so pretty!" She handed Peach a small handbag full of the "essentials": a small mirror, a tube of lipstick, powder, mints, a "totally retro" folding fan, a few coins, and some aspirin. "In case Daddy's lame jokes start to give you a headache," she explained.

"Now, for the final touch!" Wendy exclaimed as she pulled out the most beautiful, exquisitely detailed and spindly-looking shoes that Peach had ever laid eyes on. "I'm sure you know, shoes are like, super important, they can make or break the whole outfit!"

As the maids fitted the shoes on her feet, Peach was significantly more worried about breaking her ankles in the impossibly high heels. Peach stood up with some difficulty and wobbled a little as Wendy gushed.

"Oh Mama Peach, it looks perfect! Daddy's going to be like, so thrilled. I mean, honestly, I don't think he gets out much and--oh wow, it looks like those extra fashion design courses really, really paid off! Alright, let's go, we better not keep Daddy waiting any longer, right?"

Peach gave a small smile, a shallow breath, and a little wobble in response.

* * *

Bowser sat at the bottom of the staircase in an ornate chair that felt slightly too small for him, examining and contemplating the claws on his feet. He scowled at his pinky toe-claw. Since when was his pinky-toe so short and stubby? Maybe everyone's pinky-toes always looked malformed and he had never noticed before. He was so bored. When would his beloved show up? He was willing to wager that her pinky toes looked perfect, just like the rest of her. He looked once again at the candy bag.

_Those are for Peach_. He found it difficult to have self-control in the face of boredom. _Well, I'm sure she wouldn't care if I just had one chocolate ball, I mean, they're not hers yet and I've been waiting for so long…_ Just as he was about to untie the ribbon that held the bag closed, he caught notice of some swishing red fabric in his peripheral vision. It was her!

As Peach appeared at the top of the steps, Bowser stood up so quickly he knocked over the smallish chair he had been sitting on. To say she was a radiant vision in red would be a most grievous understatement. The entire ensemble seemed a magical combination of perfectly complementary contrasts. The bold style of the dress contrasted wonderfully with Peach's demure mannerisms. The clinging top highlighted Peach's slender frame and provided a fabulous distinction from the bottom of the dress, which blossomed out with yards of magnificently rich and extravagant fabrics. The fragrant flowers in her hair provided a counterbalance to the soft and pleasant scent of her hairspray. Even the color of the dress was not only Bowser's favorite, but also provided yet another beautiful contrast with her striking blue eyes, which were cast slightly downward as Peach had to be careful to mind each step. Bowser ran up the stairs to escort his lovely princess down the stairs.

She noticed that Bowser was all dressed up and he held a little bag of candy. For her? Peach blushed deeply as she thought back to her date with Mario several weeks ago, and how disappointed she had been that it had not been more like a movie. Well, this scene was exactly like a movie, except that the leading man was not a man at all. He was a Koopa, a very, very excited looking Koopa. She hoped he was not really considering this a date as his daughter was. She gained more confidence as she told herself she was only present to further the political aspirations of the Mushroom Kingdom and its plans for world peace.

She did not have much more time to think about things because the Koopa King had already made his way to the top of the stairs and had extended his arm to her. Peach quickly realized that it was going to be completely necessary to accept the support and stability of Bowser's arm in order to make it down the stairs safely in her thoroughly impractical shoes. She bowed her head and thanked him graciously for the small bag of candy he had presented to her, his profuse stuttering complements, and his offer to assist her to the Clown Car. Bowser inwardly shuddered with delight as Peach placed both ungloved hands on the hollow of his arm where his muscular bicep met his well-defined deltoid.

Wendy smiled wickedly as she saw her Mama Peach lean so close to her father, completing the most dramatic and wonderful contrast yet. It was so true what they said: accessories could not only make or break your entire outfit; they could make or break your entire evening!

* * *

Thankful to be seated, Peach looked curiously at Kamek, who was operating the controls of the Clown Car with all the expertise and finesse of a well-oiled machine. "I didn't know you let anybody except yourself pilot the Clown Car," she said to Bowser, who was looking upwards at the cloudy, purple sky wishing it would clear up so that they might have starlight to make the evening more romantic.

"Generally I don't," he started, turning his attentions back to his beautiful princess. "But this old, outdated theater apparently doesn't have a place for me to park the Clown Car while we watch the show, so Kamek here gets to be in charge for a while. I know he doesn't pilot it as well as I do but he's old so I guess he does the best he can," he joked, earning an annoyed look from Kamek. Bowser realized he had to be careful not to look at the princess too much because if he did, he would just end up staring and he was worried he might freak her out.

Peach giggled, she had not realized that not having a hangar made a place "old and outdated". "So where is this place anyway?" she asked.

"The downtown metropolitan sector of the Mushroom Kingdom," Kamek answered brightly.

At this, Peach's body visibly stiffened. It was one thing if people saw her out with Bowser in the Darklands. There was not any other reason for her to be in the Darklands except on political business with the Koopa King and very few of her people cared about Darklandian news stories anyhow. However, to traipse about in her own kingdom with Bowser, especially all dressed up; leaning on his arm, and whatnot could possibly cause scandal.

"I understand that it might be less than desirable for Your Highness to be seen out in the open and we wouldn't want any interruptions that might make your evening less than enjoyable. We've made special arrangements for you to be escorted though a separate entrance into His Majesty's private box seating," Kamek said calmly, flipping a few switches to begin the decent and activate a cloaking device.

Peach looked out over the edge of the car to see the magnificent building below them, surrounded by snow, which was glowing with the light from the numerous Parisian streetlamps which lined the street. A tasteful, expensive looking banner proclaimed "Opening Night" and hundreds of wealthy patrons were outside on the marble steps, under heating lamps, anxiously awaiting admittance.

As they landed, a small Toad with pink spots quickly ushered the two royals inside though a series of narrow corridors until they reached a warm, inviting viewing box with plush thrones, a plethora of complementary drinks and snacks, and arguably the best view of the stage that any patron would have that evening.

Peach settled into her seat and looked down at all the patrons that were filling the seats of huge auditorium down below. Among the numerous wealthy Toads and Bumpties from Poshley Heights, she saw a large group of familiar faces. Don Pianta, who was sitting with his treasured daughter and her fiancé, was the easiest to spot. Sitting next to him was Jolene, the hugely successful manager of the Glitz Pit Arena in Glitzville. Next to her was Toodles, a notorious gossip and gold digger from Poshley Heights. Also present was Goldbob, the Bob-omb owner and founder of Goldbobbington's department store and his family, Chantoad and her famous fashion rival, Vera T., the famous writer Herringway and his wife, and even Lady Bow with a her servant, Bootler. It seemed as though anyone who was anyone was there.

Peach shrunk back into her seat, secretly hoping nobody would see her. Trying to forget about the other audience members, she flipped though the program and made small talk with Bowser. Before she knew it, the orchestra was starting to tune their instruments and the lights dimmed into darkness. The show was starting!

A Toad in a blue vest came out and thanked the audience for supporting the arts, reminded the audience to turn off any electronic devices and cameras, and bid everyone to enjoy the show. As the applause died down, the orchestra started up and a lovely young woman appeared on the stage. Her hair was a rich mahogany brown, her voluptuous lips stained a beautiful red, and her eyes were silvery blue-gray. She was beautiful and a wonderful actress, perfectly embodying the free spirited lead character, Chloe, who falls in love with a shy baker's apprentice named Adrian, a character played by a handsome man with dark and sensuous eyes.

Peach was enjoying the play immensely. She already loved the story, the acting was nothing short of perfection, and the special effects were dazzling.

Bowser was also enjoying himself even more than he thought he would. The play was good, and that was a bonus, but the best part was looking over his right shoulder to see Peach's smiling face and knowing that his actions were the indirect cause of that smile, that he had given her a gift that she actually liked, and that they were out on what he considered their first real date. She was there, of her own volition, enjoying herself with him.

In his opinion, the other best thing about the evening was that twice that night, she had leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Each time his stomach flipped and he felt like he could fly to the moon. Originally, it had given the idea that he should think of questions about the play to ask and whisper in her ear so he could be closer to her. However, when he had finally thought of something to ask, she looked so happy and mesmerized by the play he decided that his antics might annoy or distract her. For the first time in his life, he decided to prioritize Peach's desire not to be annoyed over his own desire to be close to Peach. For the first time, he respectfully chose to let her be.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the audience near the front row on the left side sat another mesmerized member of the audience. Mario was all dressed up for the occasion and held a bouquet of roses for his secret love; watching her on stage made him feel nothing short of giddy. When he thought about her and their last meeting, he began to sweat. He was nervous, of course, but more than that, he was ridiculously excited.

The plot of the story started to wind down with the resolutions of all the miscommunications between the lovers. Prosperity returned to other related characters, and they all lived happily ever after. The lights slowly brightened and Mario knew that the real show time was beginning now.

He quickly stood up from his seat and clutched his bouquet as he tried to fight through the crowd to get backstage and find Pauline, he had no idea how he was going to do it, but he knew he had to find her. As predicted, when Mario got to a door that lead backstage, a Mushroom stopped him.

"Excuse me sir, you can't go in there. Unfortunately, as the star of our show, Miss Pauline has quite a few admirers and, for her protection, cannot accept uninvited guests backstage."  
_  
For her protection? _Mario was slightly offended. This Toad thought he was some kind of nutty stalker! He tried to explain about his relationship with Pauline and the apparent misunderstanding.

"Look buddy, I've tried to be nice about it, but there's no way you're getting though this door. What do you think they hired me for anyhow? I'm here to keep people like you away from Miss Pauline. If I let every Tom, Dick, and Harry though here who claimed to be old friends with Miss Pauline, well, I'd be fired for one thing!"

"Hey, you there!" a voice called to Mario. He looked up on the stage to see where the voice was coming from. It was Emilio! "It's Mario, isn't it? Pauline wants to see you later tonight after the show. We're all going down to Club 64 for a little cast party--wait, are those roses? For me? Oh, you devil, you shouldn't have!"

Stunned and not knowing what else to do, Mario handed his bouquet over to Emilio.

"Ha ha, really? You're actually going to give them to me? You should have seen the look on your face! I know, I know, these are for Pauline, I'm going to deliver them to her for you, so why don't you just meet us at Club 64 in about an hour?"

Mario nodded his head in affirmation and gave a triumphant glance to the guard Toad. He hurried out of the building and headed towards his house to freshen up before seeing Pauline.

* * *

"This was a lot of fun," Peach said with a small yawn. "Thank you very much."

"No problem, Princess," Bowser said with a smile. Now back in his castle, he was hoping against all odds that he might somehow get a goodnight kiss out of the evening.

As he opened the door for the pretty princess on his arm, the four youngest Koopalings suddenly ambushed him. They jumped on him, climbed up his legs, and hung off his arms.

"Yay! King Dad and Mama Peach are home!" Larry exclaimed, "How did your date go?"

Bowser gave a stunned look followed by a glare that told the Koopaling that he would be in big trouble if he did not shut his mouth right away. "It's late!" he growled. "What are you kids doing up?"

"Kammy like, totally fell asleep and these little twerps got into, like, a bunch of sugar so they're totally wired. I tried to stop them but--"

"Liar! You were stuffing your face too, you ugly, no-good, liar-liar pants."

Bowser groaned, "Morton, enough. All you brats better get into bed and--"

"But King Dad, we wanted to know what the story was about!" Junior protested. "Mama Peach, will you tell us the story? Please, please, please?"

Peach yawned, it was very late and she was tired, but one look into those pleading blue eyes softened her will. "I'm perfectly willing to tell you the story on two conditions. The first condition is that your father says that it's okay for you to be up so late."

The four Koopalings instantly looked up at their father with beseeching stares. They knew that convincing him would be the hardest part.

He rolled his eyes. "Bah, whatever, fine."

Peach interrupted the Koopalings' cheers with her second condition. "You'll also have to wait until I've had a chance to change into something else. Um, actually, I may need some assistance."

Bowser thought it unwise to volunteer his services and so stayed quiet as Wendy said she would help Peach undo her corsetry and guide her to the living room where everyone would meet up.

Once the girls had left, Morton went to the kitchen to request popcorn and additional sugary drinks, Junior ran to go find blankets, Bowser used his breath to start a fire in the fireplace, and Larry ran off to his room to go collect something.

When all the boys returned from their various errands, they took a seat on the couch directly in front of the gently burning fire. They waited impatiently for the girls to arrive. Finally, after a good fifteen minutes, they caught sight of Wendy leading their Mama Peach through the hallway. She looked a great deal more comfortable in her soft pajama pants, but she also walked slowly and winced a little with each step.

As she entered the room, she saw the warm fire in the fireplace, fuzzy blankets strewn about, Morton holding the hugest bowl of popcorn she had seen in her entire life, and Larry holding a medium-sized wrapped parcel. "Oh, wow you guys."

"Mama Peach, hurry hurry, we can't wait to hear the story!" Junior pleaded.

"Okay, alright." She slowly took her seat on the plush couch on the left; perpendicular to the one Bowser was sitting on. Suddenly, the three Koopaling boys who had been sitting contentedly next to their father, rushed over to the couch where Peach was sitting. Larry snagged the seat directly next to Peach, while Morton sat down near her feet, and Junior, having no other way to be closer to his Mama, scrambled right into her lap, held her close, and refused to move. Wendy rolled her eyes at the boys and took her seat on a fancy ottoman with ornate fabric and pretty tassels.

"Mama Peach?" asked Larry, "Before you begin, I have a question. You're going to be here for one more day, right?"

Peach smiled and said she would. Larry handed her his little parcel, which she proceeded to unwrap. Inside, there was a pair of fuzzy earmuffs and lovely white ice skates.

"Tomorrow, we want you and King Dad to play with us in the snow!" Junior called.

"Yeah, this is a super-rare, super-duper, awesome, once in a lifetime, snow's on the ground and Mama Peach is here, chancy opportunity!" Morton exclaimed.

Peach smiled and looked at Bowser. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day that she met with the Darklandian political advisers and actually made real political progress for her kingdom.

Bowser thought that playing in the snow sounded like a lot more fun than boring meetings all day, but he understood Peach's staunch commitment to her kingdom and also that she would have to answer to her political advisors. Of course, they would want to know what she had accomplished while she was at his castle. "Morton's right," he proclaimed. "This is a once in lifetime opportunity! I know we're supposed to go over political stuff tomorrow but, maybe we can just go for a little while tomorrow and work when we get back?"

"Hm." She looked at the earnest faces of all four Koopalings, at her lovely white skates, and finally into Bowser's shining amber eyes. _So that's where Junior got that excellent pleading look._ "Alright, we can go, so long as we're back in time to actually get some work done."

The Koopalings cheered! This was turning out to be the best Winter break they had experienced in a very long time. Junior snuggled back into Peach's lap.

Peach was still uneasy about the fact that Junior might be somehow related to her, however distantly, but she continually chose to ignore those feelings and try to block any strange thoughts in her mind. _It's just not useful to have those kinds of feelings. Related to me or not, I guess it doesn't really make a shred of difference._

Bowser looked tenderly at the scene that was unfolding. Peach was telling the younger Koopalings all about the story. Each time a Koopaling interrupted her with a question, she would always take the time and patiently answer. The fire provided a beautiful, illuminating glow, which added a romantic chiaroscuro to her skin and hair. He shook his head as he watched Junior with admiration and envy, falling asleep in Peach's lap.

A realization had dawned on him. He was not the only person in the Darklands who really needed Peach. All of the Koopalings, even the older ones, would have their lives drastically enriched by her presence. He regularly worried about her relationship with Mario. He realized, for everyone's sake, he had to stop her from falling in love with the plumber. For such a "hero," he did not seem to realize how selfish his pursuit of Peach was. He hoped that Peach would come to see the situation as he saw it: If she were to marry Mario, she would be denying at least nine people happiness in exchange for the happiness of one ugly plumber. However, if she agreed to stay with the Koopa King, their kingdoms would enjoy peace and prosperity under two competent, practiced leaders and the entire Koopa royal family would be happy, including her. He would go to any lengths of trouble for her happiness, and he certainly would make sure to go at least farther than that stupid plumber ever could.

Peach had finally finished her story. Junior was sleeping happily on her lap and she had her arm around Larry who was also snoozing on her side. Morton was, for once, silent looking at the fire with a smile on his face, and Wendy sat on her ottoman with her chin in her hands and a dreamy expression on her face.

"That settles it! I want to be an actress!" Wendy said happily, flouncing off to go inform Iggy and Lemmy that she would be star of their next production.

Peach woke the other Koopalings and softly informed them that it was time for bed. They sleepily trudged off to their rooms. Finally, all that remained in the dimly lit room was Peach, Bowser, and a few dull embers from the fire.

"I think I'm about ready to go to sleep as well." Peach said softly, staring at Bowser in the glow of the embers. The tenebrism of the room endowed his features with a frightening ferocity, but also a soft and tender sort of strength, the combination of which she had not seen before and found strangely fascinating. She realized she had been staring and quickly looked away, letting the awkwardness of the situation creep up on her. "I don't think I know how to get back to my room just yet. I'm sorry but--"

"It's no problem Princess, I used to get lost all the time when I was a little Koopaling; I'll show you the way back to your room." In truth, to this day he occasionally got lost if he was busy daydreaming or was in a part of the castle where he did not go very often. The labyrinthine build of the castle was intentional, designed in a twisting Baroque style to confuse intruders and impress guests.

As he led Peach through various halls and up stairways back to her room, all he could think of was her stare. Was she possibly checking him out? He was proud, but also self-conscious, racking his brain to remember what facial expression he was wearing before he looked over to see her staring at him. He hoped it was something attractive. At last, they arrived at her door.

"Well, I had fun, thank you for everything," Peach started awkwardly.

Bowser replied equally gawkily, "No, no, thank you for coming and being here and being so nice to my kids and--" He could not think of anything else to say, it was now or never so--he just collected her into his arms for another big hug.

This time, Peach was still shocked, but significantly less alarmed. She permitted her head to rest ever so slightly on his pectoral muscle and allowed herself to embrace his warmth. She was surprised to feel her stomach flip as she breathed in his faint smoky smell.

Bowser himself was indulging in every moment he could possibly spend standing there holding his perfect princess. He rested his chin on the top of her silky blond hair and subtly rubbed her back with his claw. He was in heaven until he felt her move a bit and knew it was time to release her.

Upon withdrawal from the hug that lasted just a _little _too long, Peach straightened her pajamas. "Well, goodnight," she squeaked, and quickly retreated behind her bedroom door. Bowser stood looking at the door for a few moments before turning around and heading back to his own room, his heart magically both more fulfilled and more longing than it had ever been before.


	14. Cold Nose, Warm Heart

**A/N: I decided to combine two chapters again! So today, you get twice the reading! Arguably the most Koopaling intensive chapter yet, this chapter also features at least 50% more fluff.**

**Also, I had never read mariosonic's collection of one-shots, but when I did, I was absolutely floored by how similar our New Year's scenes were. (I'm in ur hard drive stealin' ur fanfics?) Yeah, so that's pure coincidence, but I encourage you to look at **_**The Princess and the King **_**by mariosonic, because it's really good. Okay, plug over; enjoy the story.

* * *

**

Luigi woke up shivering from the cold. Once again, Boos were haunting his dreams and he had kicked the covers off his bed. He got up and shuffled about in the dark to find the thermostat. After fiddling with the thermostat to turn the heater on, he looked at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning and far too early to be up on a Sunday. He looked towards his brother's door, hoping he had not disturbed him, only to find the door still open, the bed still made. Mario had not come home last night? Something was going on.

He knew Mario went some place last night, and he could not be with the princess because Toadsworth had said she was off on some kind of political something or other. Even if he was with the princess, there was no way anyone would allow him to sleep at the castle. Not only was it improper, there was also no reason for him to sleep there. Something _must be_ going on.

He wondered if he should call Daisy. _Mama mia, not at this hour, she would kill me. Besides, she'd probably jump to conclusions and make a bigger deal out of it than it really is._ _First, he was lying to Mama and Papa, and now he's staying out late and not coming home at night? _Luigi desperately wanted to know what was happening to his once honest older brother.

* * *

Roy eagerly forked another whole pancake into his mouth, which was literally dripping with maple syrup and butter.

Wendy made a face of disgust at her older brother. "Wow, like, what a charmer; I bet the ladies just can't keep their claws off you, Roy," she sneered sarcastically.

"You know it!" He grinned, revealing a mouthful of half-chewed pancakes.

Wendy gave him a dirty look and returned to her own breakfast of seasonal fruits and egg whites.

For reasons Peach could not explain, she was feeling very excited to go outside and play in the snow. Bowser was telling her that instead of using the Clown Car, which was not designed to seat ten, he was just going to have Kamek transport them to his massive courtyard area, which contained a great lake and enough snow for everyone to have fun. She bundled up in a large cloak with faux fur lining and cute, pink Eskimo boots under her thick, wintry dress and water-resistant bloomers. Each of the Koopalings ran to the adjacent room, ready to be teleported by Kamek.

Bowser stopped Junior at the door and placed a scarf around his neck. "You can't breathe fire yet, so if you don't wear this, the cold could stunt the growth of your fire glands. Be careful." Junior nodded in affirmation and happily ran to join the others.

Peach felt touched by what a good father Bowser was to his children. She hated to admit it but she had not expected to see him as a competent individual. Naturally, she was quite surprised when Bowser wrapped a long scarf around her neck.

He grinned. "I don't really know what's causing the delay in _your_ fire glands but it can't hurt to be safe."

She smiled and followed him out the door where Kamek had the Koopalings lined up before him. Peach and Bowser silently fell into line while Kamek smiled and bid them to enjoy their day. In a puff of white smoke and a flash of brilliant light, the ten royals found themselves outside, a light snowfall dotting their clothes and hair. In another moment, all the Koopalings scattered in all different directions.

Peach giggled with delight and free-fell backwards into the snow, rolling about and making snow angels. She scooped up a bunch of snow in her hands and threw it upwards, letting it rain back down over her head. When she sat up, her newly tangled hair contained tiny bits of snow and her cheeks were rosy and smiling. "What are you waiting for?" she called to the Koopa King, who appeared to be just standing around watching her have fun.

Bowser dove into the snow and scattered around as much snow as he could. He attempted to copy Peach's snow angel, but when he got up, the spikes in his shell made the snow angel look like she'd been caught in a fusillade of arrows.

"Mama Peach!" cried Junior. "We need your help to make a snow Koopa!"

Some of the older Koopalings had already amassed a snow tower in the rough shape of a Koopa and were now arguing about the correct way to build and shape it. Peach ran over towards the bickering kids.

"Ludo, of course it makes sense in theory, lots of things do, but if you do that it'll be too top heavy and the whole thing will collapse. We need to make a bigger base!" Iggy cried.

"An idiosyncratic hindrance of yours! You are constantly attempting to place function over form! If you enlarge the base, the body won't have an apposite proportion!" Ludwig retorted.

Iggy turned to Peach, "Mama Peach, what do you think is more important? Structural integrity and a well engineered work which respects the laws of physics--?"

Ludwig interrupted, "Or an artistic tour-de-force which appears to transcend those mundane laws and speaks to a higher purpose?"

Peach carefully contemplated her response. She had no idea that today the Koopalings would drag her into a philosophical debate of art versus science. "Well, surely both are very important, and neither could exist without the other. After all, artistic masterpieces could not support themselves without respect for structural laws, but also, even the soundest structures would hardly be worth looking at if not for creativity and the arts."

Iggy and Ludwig were both trying to decide if that meant Mama Peach was on their side of the argument or not. Iggy spoke first, "So then, what do you think we should do?"

Peach thought for a second and gave an idea. "Why don't you just ask Kamek to use his magic to support it?"

"Blasphemy!" called Ludwig.

"Why would you want to do that?" asked Iggy.

Finally, the two Koopalings had a common ground and walked away, proclaiming to one another how any solution would have been better than what Peach had suggested. Peach shrugged her shoulders and turned to Junior. "Well, do you want to help me build a snow Koopa then?"

"Sure!" Junior said. "It sounded like a good idea to me!"

Junior and Peach waved down Kamek, who had been busying himself by melting elaborate designs into the snow with his wand. "Yes, Your Majesties?"

"Grandpa Kamek, we need magic power! We want to make a big snow Koopa! No, wait! Bigger than big! Bigger than King Dad!"

Ah, there it was again. _Grandpa Kamek, eh?_ The littlest Koopaling must have known he secretly liked the nickname; he chuckled to himself in delight. He waved his magic wand and before them stood a magnificently large snow Koopa that greatly resembled Bowser. He handed the princess a few nicely shaped coals, a few vegetables, and a long green scarf. "Have fun!" he called.

Peach handed a piece of coal to Junior who looked up at her and asked, "How are we gonna put his eyes on?"

Peach looked up at the enormous tower of snow before her. It was almost twice as tall as she was. "If I lift you up, do you think you can reach?"

"I don't think that's a good idea Mama Peach."

"Oh? Are you scared? It's okay, we'll think of another way."

"I'm not scared!" he cried defensively. "And I'll prove it, here we go, lift me up, let's do it!"

Peach grabbed Junior by his shell and tried to hoist him up. He was _much_ heavier than she had estimated. Maybe Junior had been right about it being a bad idea. As she lifted him over her head, she lost her balance and the two royals tumbled backwards into the deep snow.

"Need a little help?" a deep voice boomed.

Peach poked her head up from the hole in the snow that she had created. She glanced at Junior who was shaking the snow off himself as a wet dog might shake water out of its fur. "That might be useful," she said, accepting Bowser's outstretched claw to get out of the snow pit.

"Alright, here we go!" Bowser grabbed Peach by the waist and situated her on his shoulder as he grabbed Junior in his other claw and handed him off to Peach. Then, he raised the both of them up so that Junior would be able to reach to put the eyes and scarf on the snow Koopa.

Back on the ground, Junior looked at the sculpture with pride. "King Dad, that's a statue of me when I'm bigger because it has a green scarf and so do I. I'm gonna look like that, right? I'm gonna grow up to be even bigger and badder than you!"

"Oh yeah?" Bowser asked, amused. "You think you're gonna be badder than me? I don't think you know just how bad I am, Junior. Nope, no way. I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson in bad!" With that, Bowser scooped up a clawful of snow and put it down Junior's shell.

Junior roared at the sudden icy sensation in his back and quickly retaliated with a speedy snowball, which hit his laughing father right in the snout. Realizing what he had just done, Junior ran wide-eyed towards his siblings screaming, "Help! Help! Snowball fight! Everyone against Dad!"

Thus, the snowball fight began! The Koopalings and Peach made a base of the frozen pond area while Bowser enlisted Kamek to join his side and help create giant snowballs to bomb the area.

Peach was breathless with exhilaration and adrenaline as she shouted commands like a seasoned military general. "Lemmy, roll up on the left and pelt them from there; Wendy, you take the right." Roy caused what appeared to be the defining moment in the battle. He suddenly leaped out from behind the makeshift bunker-wall of snow and charged straight into the enormous pine tree under which Bowser and Kamek were hiding. The tree shuddered on impact and released all the snow from its branches, covering the Koopa King and his advisor under a thick blanket of snow. The Koopalings cheered and whooped until the blanket of snow began to glow and shift. Unexpectedly, it burst off the two victims and magically formed itself into homing snowballs, which chased the Koopalings around and pelted them. The Koopalings ran amok trying to avoid the snowballs.

For Kamek, this was just too easy. Their little snowball fight had turned into a Koopaling herding game. Finally, he had the Koopalings and the princess surrounded by magically floating snowballs in their base, just as he was about to pelt them all, Larry jumped to the front.

"Not today, you wrinkled old geezer!" he yelled, and breathed an uncontrollable outburst of fire, which melted all the snowballs and would have, under normal circumstances, been very impressive for a novice. However, his misdirected flame weakened the frozen top of the pond on which all the Koopalings had been standing. The combined weight of the eight children plus the princess was too much for the damaged ice shelf to hold. They plunged into the freezing water.

Bowser roared in alarm and dove into the freezing water to find his youngest son and the princess. For the other Koopalings with functioning fire glands, the freezing water would not be much more than an uncomfortable inconvenience, but for Junior and Peach, the water could be enough to send them into hypothermic shock.

Though it only took a couple of seconds for Bowser to find Peach clutching onto Junior in the water, it felt like an eternity. He grabbed the both of them and called for Kamek to teleport them right away.

After teleportation, an army corps of Magikoopas worked to remove the water from the hair, clothes, and shells of the monarchs. After they had finished, Koopa guards took Peach and Junior, with Bowser hot on their heels, to the cozy living room where Peach had told her story the night before. They swaddled both Peach and Junior in extremely thick, fluffy blankets. Though her joints ached from the cold, Peach tried her best to stay close to Junior to keep him warm. The Koopa King grabbed the both of them and held them very close, using his fire glands to heat up his body and provide warmth.

After a while, Peach and Junior stopped shivering and, exhausted from stress, they both fell into a heavy sleep. At this point, Bowser let his internal temperature drop and closed his eyes to rest a little as well.

He was not sure what to feel. He was angry with Larry for his lack of common sense, but also proud that his son had produced his first truly devastating flame, an important rite of passage for a Koopaling. He was disappointed that the day did not go as smoothly as he had hoped; however, he was glad everyone was all right and not the least bit sad to be playing the pillow to his sleeping beauty. He heard the fire crackle, smelled the deliciously fragrant smoke, and thought the most delightful thoughts as he drifted to sleep with his princess and their son sleeping softly in his arms.

* * *

"Princess Toadstool, I think I speak on behalf of the entire council when I congratulate you on a job well done!"

Peach cast her eyes downwards as she received accolades for successfully negotiating a series of very favorable trade agreements between the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom.

However, the praise rung hollow in her ears, after all, she had not done a single thing in the way of negotiation while she was at Bowser's castle. _All I've done is go on some strange quasi-date with Bowser and later been discovered falling asleep on his chest._

Still she smiled politely as the Prime Minister continued, "I don't know how you did it, but you certainly have a way of talking some sense into those shrewd monsters. Generally they're almost unbearable!"

_Monsters?_ Peach thought about the adorable gaze of Junior and the other Koopalings. Even their father, as large and fearsome as he sometimes appeared, could be kind, gentle, and even caring. Sure, they were different, but they were far from monsters. However, she held her tongue. She did not want to appear too fond of the Darklandians, who had always caused problems for her kingdom.

She realized that Bowser had approved these generous trading agreements to help her conceal the fact that she had not done any legitimate political work during her stay. He also approved them as an incentive to her advisors to request the princess to visit his castle more regularly for "negotiations".

Generally, the Darklandian council tried to use their power to block trading agreements between the Mushroom Kingdom and other nations in hopes that the Mushroom Kingdom would have to arrange most of their trading with the Darklands. Confidentially, the hope was that a nearly exclusive trading situation would make the two kingdoms crucial allies, which in turn would make a bid for marriage between the two sovereigns more considerable.

It had been a week and a half since she returned to the quiet of her own castle. The whole experience was so surreal, if she did not have the gifts from the Koopalings, she might have guessed that it was all just a dream; a strange, strange, little dream.

The Prime Minister resumed briefing Peach on all of the various functions and appointments she would be having, starting tomorrow, the first day of the New Year. The first weeks of the New Year were always the busiest for the princess, for that is when new budgets met approval and many company owners opened new shops. This year would be no exception. However, tonight was the last night for a while that was solely for her enjoyment. She would be out in Central Square, ringing in the New Year with all of her best friends.

She realized that it had been a very long time since she had seen Mario. She wondered what he had been up to all this time. The carriage slowed to a stop and the door opened. They had arrived in the very busy Central Square. The princess was quite pleased to learn that she did not have to give any sort of speech and that she could go directly to visiting with her cousin and her friends. Amidst the crowd, Peach instantly spotted Daisy, standing arm and arm with Luigi in her usual bright yellow dress. Next to them was Mario looking extremely uncomfortable next to a short, portly woman who looked vaguely like--his mama! Of course! Peach had completely forgotten that Mario's Mama was coming to join the celebration this year.

"Hi Peachy!" called Daisy, rushing to greet her with one of her infamous bear hugs. "How's it going?"

Mario closed his eyes; the holy judgment time had come. He pointed to the media cameras, positioned in every possible location, to remind Mama to keep his secret.

"Don't worry so much, Mario. Your Mama knows how to keep a secret from those wicked gossips!" She pinched her son's cheeks affectionately. "Now introduce me to your sweet little fiancée-to-be!"

Mario gulped and walked towards Peach and Daisy.

"A pleasure to finally meet you," said Peach, shaking hands with the rotund woman before her. "Did your father come as well?" she inquired of Mario.

Mama answered, "Oh, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. You know men, always looking the other way when something important is happening right under their noses. Luckily, my Mario takes after me…"

Peach knew it was rude to let her mind wander, especially when talking to a person that she had just met, but she could not help wonder what Mama meant by "something important".

After Mama and Mario had left to go find Papa, Peach resumed wandering around with her cousin and Luigi. The entire square was lit up like a festival of lights and music. There were jugglers and other entertainers performing amazing feats, wonderfully lit up little booths selling all manner of foods and trinkets. Peach stopped into one booth and bought a spicy drink that reminded her of the drink she had at the Darklandian Bazaar. She sighed and thought about what Bowser and his Koopalings might be doing right now.

"What's up, Peachy? Something the matter?" Daisy asked, seeing her cousin's wistful look.

"What? No, I'm okay, I'm just--I started thinking about all the work I have to do, all those ceremonies and appointments."

"Aw, try not to think about it or else you'll spoil the one night you do have for yourself! C'mon, let's go play some ring toss! That ought to get your mind on something else!"

* * *

Bowser looked at Iggy with an unamused expression on his face. "You're cheating."

"No, really, I swear! That's checkmate, again!"

Bowser made a low growl in the back of his throat. "You've got to be kidding me. That's the sixth time tonight."

"Care to make it seven?" Iggy asked hopefully, this was going to be a new personal record.

"No," he growled. "I'm going to bed."

"But…" Iggy watched as his father trudged up the long stairs leading up to his room. _Great. Now I have to put away all of these games by myself._

Bowser opened the doors to his room and slumped down onto his bed, feeling the soft red satin sheets under him. Although Wendy had assured him satin was a tacky choice for bedding material, Bowser liked the feel of it against his skin and it reminded him, ever so slightly, of one of Peach's dresses so he liked it even more. Thinking of Peach, he grabbed his photo album and looked flipped through the pages for what must have been the thousandth time.

First, there was the picture of everybody opening gifts. Bits of paper hung in the air and everybody seemed to be smiling. Peach even had a ribbon stuck to her hair. Then, there was a great picture of Junior, Larry, and Morton all snuggled up with Peach as she told stories. There were a few pictures of everybody playing in the snow, the snow Koopa, and Kamek enchanting snowballs. However, Bowser's favorite picture was on the last filled page. In that picture, Peach had fallen asleep with his arms around her, Junior in her arms. Everybody was fast asleep and looked completely at peace.

Bowser sighed; he could not believe how much he already missed her. He knew it was just going to get worse when the Koopalings went back to school and he would be alone again. He looked at the clock and wondered what Peach was doing at that moment.

* * *

Daisy emerged from the enchanting blue tent looking extremely pleased.

"What did she say?" Peach asked excitedly.

"I'm not supposed to tell you, that's why it's private," Daisy exclaimed. "Well go on, you're up!"

Peach giggled and brushed aside the gossamer curtains, which enclosed the small, circular room where a beautiful magician in pink and purple robes awaited her. The tent contained all manner of artifacts, antiques, and oddities.

"Hello dear princess,  
'Tis me, Merluvlee,  
I'll read your fortune,  
And tonight it is free!  
So glad you've arrived,  
On this cold New Year's Eve,  
Now what type of fortune,  
Had you hoped to receive?"

"Oh, um, well…"

Merluvlee smiled wickedly,  
"Not sure my dear princess?  
I know just your fate.  
You've no sweetheart I see,  
So let's find you a _date_!  
Now choose some cards,  
Leave the upshot to chance,  
Close your eyes,  
And think of_ romance_!"

Peach closed her eyes and tried to think about all of the romantic things that she had ever seen or heard, while Merluvlee chanted a spell. She thought about that flighty feeling, the flipping in her stomach. She thought of red roses and the Toads at the teahouse. Of Daisy and Luigi's relationship, little presents, cuddles and kisses. She thought about everything until--

"My dear, we are ready,  
You may open your eyes,  
Let us flip the cards,  
So we may see your surprise."

Peach flipped over her first card. It featured an ornate illustration of a court jester.

"The fool is so brave,  
The fool remains fearless,  
In the face of revolution,  
The fool's life is peerless."

Peach flipped over the second card to reveal a happy couple holding hands.

"The lovers rejoice,  
In a field full of greens,  
A smart girl like you,  
Ought to know what that means!"

The third card revealed a segmented wheel covered in ancient runes.

The Wheel of Fortune,  
She spins most rapid,  
Life's full of changes,  
So it'll never be vapid."

Her last card revealed a shining crescent moon.

"Mysterious Luna,  
Guides with her light,  
Not all's as it seems,  
Don't be fooled by the night."

Peach thanked the fortuneteller for her services, though Peach had no idea what exactly she had received. As far as she could tell, Merluvlee had told her she would find love, but not everything was how it seemed, that there would be changes, and that she should be brave. She shook her head; it really did not get much more generic than that. As she was about to walk away from the tent to visit another booth, she heard Merluvlee speaking again. She was telling Mario's fortune! Though a moment ago Peach had been proud of herself for not taking fortune telling seriously, she was now suddenly very curious to hear what Merluvlee would say to Mario. Was it wrong to listen?

_It's just a game. I don't think Mario would mind; nobody really takes this stuff seriously. _She continued to rationalize her actions as she snuck closer to the tent to listen closer.

"Yes, 'tis obvious you're smitten,  
It comes as no surprise,  
But your life shall turn most sour,  
If you do not stop all these lies!  
About all these feelings,  
The princess you must tell,  
Or else you shall be cheerless,  
And the princess will as well."

Peach could not believe what she had just heard! _He's obviously smitten and lying about it? He needs to tell me? Or else we'll both be lonely! Of course!_ She could not believe it. He loved her and had been hiding it all this time? _Why would he hide it from me? Maybe he was just worried about our friendship, or maybe it's because I'm a princess and he was worried about what I would think._

Peach went over to her cousin, smiling and lost in thought.

"Looks like you got some good news too!" Daisy called happily. "We've got about ten more minutes. Have you thought of your wish for when the New Year's comet passes?"

"Not yet. I guess I should hurry up and start thinking."

Peach began to daydream about all the things she would like to wish. _How about less work this year? _She thought about Mario and going on romantic dates with him. Though a few months ago, she was reluctant to even think about Mario as being anything more than a friend, the more she thought about how he might be secretly in love with her, the more she liked the idea of being together with him. Therefore, she thought of her wish, a wish of romance between Mario and herself.

"Ten…nine…"

_Peachy looks so happy; I hope that fortuneteller told her something good. She deserves to be happy._

"Eight…seven…"

_Mama mia, this is bad. Mama has had such a good night, how can I tell her that the princess isn't anywhere close to being my fiancée?_

"Six…five…"

_I wonder when he'll tell me how he feels._

"Four…three…"

_Stars, hear my wish. I'm so tired of being alone. Bring her back to me and make her see…_

"Two…one…"

Peach closed her eyes in preparation to make her big wish when she caught a whiff of smoke. Her stomach fluttered and she opened her eyes and whispered, "Bowser?"

"Happy New Year!" Bells sounded and whistles shrieked. Music began to play and the citizens cheered. Peach stood spellbound for a moment, before she noticed a long trail of smoke coming from a nearby hipster Toad, who was smoking while wearing an expression that somehow made tragedy look, all at once, like the coolest and yet most boring thing in the world. She looked down in shame and embarrassment. She had wasted her wish because she was thinking about the Koopa King, of all people.

However, up in Star Road, a familiar messenger smirked to himself. He knew Peach's wish was not wasted. "Interesting." He grinned. The one once called Geno made his way up to Star Haven to hand-deliver the wish. Twink was going to want to see this one, and Geno wanted to be there to see his expression when he finally did.


	15. Invincibility Stars

**A/N: Woo, sorry I've been so terribly neglectful; it's been a very busy month for me (My birthday and stuff =P). I always imagined the timing of this chapter to be sort of like Valentine's day, if such a thing existed in the Mushroom Kingdom. No hearts, cards, chocolates, or roses; just fluff.

* * *

**

The following morning proved to be even more stressful and hectic than Peach had even imagined. News of her recent successes in negotiating trade agreements with the Darklands had spread like wildfire and encouraged both entrepreneurs and investors, resulting in nearly double the usual applications for business permits. As per Mushroom Kingdom tradition, it was customary to open shop on the first day of the New Year, and per the same tradition, it was Peach's duty to visit every one of them. This was, of course, a tremendous task and usually spanned anywhere from one to four days.

Peach looked out the rain-streaked window of her carriage as they stopped at a newly opening apothecary. She did not particularly mind these little visits, often times the new businesses would offer her a small gift basket or some samples. That alone made the visitations the most enjoyable part of her New Year's duties. After this, she would have to sit in for weeks of meetings discussing new budget plans and going over new bills to pass into law. This year, because of her "display of excellent foreign diplomacy," her advisers expected her to go to even more meetings about foreign relations. Peach did not mind doing these things for the good of her country and her people, and she was very appreciative of the respect she had earned from the council. However, right now she was tired, hungry, and ready to go home.

Peach stared absently at all of the strangely-shaped bottles and even stranger looking plants and roots on the shelves as Toadsworth chatted with the elderly Koopa who owned the establishment. So far, they had visited two new bakeries, a badge shop, an accessories store, three cafes, a grocery store, a shoe shop, and even a dental office. Peach smiled as she looked down at her lovely new shoes, a gift from the owner of the shoe store. The flats were made of baby pink silk and had a lovely golden brooch, encrusted with pink, purple, and green gems, on each shoe. She loved them so much, she decided to put them on and wear them right away.

"Ah, well, many pleasant regards to you, madam. We wish you nothing but the best of luck in your enterprise." There it was! The sentence Peach had been waiting for; the signal from Toadsworth that it was time to go home.

It was all Peach could do to keep her eyes open for a quick but hearty dinner before she collapsed into her bed and fell into a hearty slumber.

* * *

Pauline smiled and hummed a little tune to herself as she painted her toes a fresh coat of red. Life was going very well! With the enormous success of her last performance, she had become the one of the most sought-after performers in all the Mushroom Kingdom. She had already auditioned and been accepted to share the stage with the great Madame Flurrie, a legendary iconic actress. Various magazines and other publications had also contacted her for interviews. With the advent of reuniting with Mario, even her love life seemed to be turning sweet.

To her, he was even more handsome than he was in his younger years. Sure, he was not necessarily attractive in a conventional way, but something about his demeanor and attitude she found very alluring. It was a paradoxical feeling of being perfectly content and safe, but also excited and thrilled all at once. Pauline loved every second of it. She also loved that their little meetings were becoming increasingly frequent.

_Tomorrow night. I can't wait.

* * *

_

"Oh. My. Stars!" Wendy squealed in a high-pitched voice, heels clicking as she ran down the marble steps into Bowser's private office. "I can't believe it, like, I can't believe it!"

Bowser glanced over his shoulder to see his daughter running towards him with a huge grin on her face. "What is it? It better not be another boyfriend."

"Tsk, like, no Dad. Even if it was, it's not like I'd tell you after what you did to the last one."

Bowser chuckled to himself and wondered if the poor boy ever found his way off Lava Lava Island.

"Dad, be serious! This, like, has to do with my future! I got that internship at KCM, I've already got my first assignment!"

"Uh, KCM?"

Wendy rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Koopa Couture Magazine, Dad. Honestly. I'm going to help interview--well, she's a really famous up-and-coming actress. Anyhow, I totally need to get packed so, see ya!"

Bowser watched Wendy run back up the stairs. He had no idea why anyone would want to read an article about some stupid actress, but he was proud of his daughter anyway and glad she was getting to do something she wanted to do. He looked over the law papers scattered on his desk and sighed. The majority of these laws mattered even less than celebrity gossip.

_Who even wastes their time thinking up and submitting this stuff?_ "A petition to make street signs reflect more cultural diversity by placing pictures of every single species in the Darklands on them? Are you serious?" Bowser grumbled to himself before taking out a pen and writing "Who Cares?" in his finest and largest handwriting. It seemed a bit of shame that the king personally had to approve every bill, because he certainly seemed to see a whole lot of trivial nonsense pass by his desk. Then again, Bowser was completely unwilling to let any of his advisers make decisions about the kingdom without him.

It was getting late and the temperature in the office was dropping by the minute. Bowser put down his pen and listened to the silence of his castle. The kids were asleep or occupied, and the only sound to hear was the distant patter of rainfall. _Raining again? At least we won't have to worry about any water shortages this year._ The Koopalings were leaving for school again in just two days, just when Bowser had gotten used to having them around. Even though they could be temperamental and selfish, and they shouted at each other all of the time, it sure could be lonely without them.

* * *

Quietly shutting and locking the door behind her, Peach immediately flopped on her bed and immediately felt relieved. _Finally! I thought that would never end!_

Peach had just finished four back-to-back lessons, lectures, and practice meetings. It seemed like she had to become an overnight expert on everything that every adviser had spent his or her entire life learning. Although she found history, foreign policy, and economics interesting, all of the information and expectations could get overwhelming. Peach looked over at her Buzzy Beetle, who looked back at her with its shining plastic eyes. She flipped on the television, too tired and unmotivated to get into pajamas.

It was already a month and a half into the New Year and, so far, every single day had been exactly like this for Peach. Every day, she woke up early, spent all day in meetings and lectures, and then retired to her bedroom for an early bedtime. Aside from a few very brief instances, she had not seen any of her dear friends since the festival.

"How you doin'?" Fake audience laughter blared from the television. Peach quickly flipped off the television to silence the racket and instead closed her eyes to listen to the rain. _I wonder what they've all been up to. I hope they're having more fun than I am. It's no wonder Daisy tries to shirk so many of her royal duties. _She sighed and thought of Mario. It _sure has been a long time since we talked. I wonder if he's busy too._

Peach was beginning to feel herself drifting off into sleep when the steady sound of falling rain was pierced by shouts and a booming noise which shook the entire floor. Peach frowned softly and opened her eyes. She heard a sharp rapping on one of the glass panes of her balcony door. Cautiously, she pulled back the gauzy, pink curtains and revealed, to her shock, the Koopa King.

He pointed towards the door handle and silently mouthed, "It's locked!" Peach gave Bowser an outraged expression and, not knowing what else to do; she unlocked and opened the door.

"Bowser! What are you—?"

"Doing here? That line again? Whatever, I'll explain later. C'mon Princess, let's go!" Bowser grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her towards his Clown Car.

Peach pulled away quickly. "Bowser…I can't. I'm really tired and—"

Suddenly, the handle of her door jiggled, followed by a loud knock and a panicked shout of "Princess Peach, are you alright in there? The Koopa King may be attacking again, please open the door!"

Bowser raised his claws in the air in a sarcastically menacing way and, mocking the high-pitched voice of the Toad, quietly squeaked, "The Koopa King is attacking, oh no!" He looked at Peach with that wonderfully pleading stare of his. "I'll have you back in a few hours at the most, I promise. I just want to show you something, but if we don't leave now, we'll miss it!"

The banging on the door was becoming more frantic. "Your Highness? Your Highness! Please open this door at once, you are in grave danger!" She heard the sound of keys.

"Okay, let's go." Peach figured she could not very well let her retainers know that she had intentionally locked them out of her room in order to have a conversation with Bowser. If she went with Bowser, they would just figure he had kidnapped her again.

As the Clown Car zoomed away from the Mushroom Castle, she heard faint cries below until the transparent rain dome sealed out any noise besides the humming of the engine. Peach looked down at her feet and played with her thumbs nervously in the awkward silence that remained. She looked out the dome and saw that they were rising higher and higher into the sky. "So…what did you want to show me?"

"You'll see." He smirked. "How've you been?"

"Oh, uh, I've been well. I'm very busy with all of these sorts of new royal duties. Actually, um, I wanted to thank you for being so generous to the Mushroom Kingdom. I mean you didn't have to do that."

"Do what? I just signed some agreements I found to be in the best interests of the Darklands."

Peach felt herself blush as Bowser threw her yet another smirk. She noticed they were flying right through the cloud layer. _What is going on here? Where are we going?_

As the Clown Car slowed to a stop next to a floating platform, Peach found her questions answered. Here, high above the stratus clouds and the pouring rain, Peach had a clear view of the starry night sky. Bowser pressed a button to retract the glass weather dome and Peach shuddered as the freezing night air met with her skin. Luckily, Bowser was prepared for just such a situation and handed her a very plush pink blanket before climbing out of the car onto the slightly wobbly floating platform.

Peach looked at Bowser, wide-eyed. "What are you doing?"

"The Clown Car won't go any higher, she's not really meant for that, so we're going to take this platform instead." He extended his hand out to her. "You're gonna want to bring that blanket."

Peach looked in horror at the medium-sized, green-checkered platform. Did he really expect her to get on that thing? There would be barely enough room for the two of them, and she could see how much it shook when he got on. There was no way she was getting on. She shook her head violently, a scared look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't, that looks…really unsafe."

"I know it looks scary, but I swear this thing is completely safe. If it can hold me, it can hold you too. This thing I want to show you, it's totally worth it. I won't let anything bad happen to you Peach, you just have to trust me."

_I'm supposed to trust Bowser? _What a strange world she was living in. Peach sighed and weighed her options. She could either get on the platform to look at whatever he wanted to show her, or stay in the car like a stick in the mud, be cold, and disappoint him.

Mustering her courage, she extended one hand to Bowser and with the other, clutched the blanket around her. The platform tilted violently as Bowser easily raised her up onto the platform with him. When the platform began to move upwards, Peach began to shake uncontrollably from some mixture of terror and cold. Though she did not like to admit her fears, heights were not among Peach's favorite things, and the distinct lack of guardrails or anything to stop them from plunging several thousand feet to the ground below made her nervous, to say the least.

Peach clutched tightly onto Bowser's arm for both support and warmth, which paradoxically both increased and decreased the feeling of terror balling in the pit of her stomach. Being so close to the Koopa King made her nervous, but his smoky scent in the icy breeze somehow soothed her. She pulled the blanket tighter around her with her free hand and shivered. She really hoped whatever this was would be worth it. _Everybody is probably very worried about me._

Bowser found it hard not to hum happily to himself as he ascended into the sky with his curious princess on his arm. This reminded him ever so slightly of the time he had abducted her with the intention to create a new galaxy where they could rule by each other's sides. In retrospect, maybe this galaxy was not so bad after all.

"Ooh, a shooting star!" Peach's delighted cry interrupted Bowser's train of thought. It seemed she had temporarily forgotten her extreme fear. The platform had finally come to a stop somewhere in the curiously oxygenated tropopause, right below the realm of Star Haven.

"Yeah, there's about to be a lot more where that came from. Every year around this time, there are a whole bunch of 'em. Not sure why."

Peach eagerly scanned the sky in silence until she saw another shooting star, and then another. Before long, stars were falling all around and beside them. "This is fantastic! How do you know about this?"

"The first time I went to Star Haven to, uh, borrow the Star Rod, I was already pushing the Clown Car to be up this high and these annoying little stars kept crashing into her. Anyhow, I guess it happens every year. Kammy says it means those goons up in Star Haven are up to something."

"No way, I don't believe it!"

"Believe it, Little One, you owe me twenty coins."

Twink screwed up his face and looked into the crystal ball once more. Sure, he was supposed to be able to see anything that was going on down below but, this had to be some kind of trick. Up in Star Haven, every Star Spirit, including Twink, was busy with the annual granting of all the wishes they had approved from all the New Year's celebrations worldwide. Twink had seen plenty of strange wishes, but this was just too much.

"You know, they made a mutual wish too!" Geno chuckled.

"That's crazy, I knew Peach when I was just a little apprentice Star Kid and she was trapped in his castle. She couldn't wait to leave and now you're trying to tell me that something has changed? I mean, everyone in Star Haven already knows about _his _wishes but she would never…"

"She would." Geno held out a pristine white envelope with a flat, blue star enclosed. Twink took out the star and found an elegant green script detailing simply "Bowser."

"And here's the other one for you," Geno said as he passed over yet another ungranted wish in the form of a flat blue star. "This one's his."

"Oh sheesh, not again, put it in the box with all the others."

"You can't, they're mutual and there's nothing selfish to it, so go ahead and grant them already and I'll take those coins too."

Twink looked over at Geno with a tired expression on his face. "I can't believe that I'm personally overseeing this. When did this world get so weird?" He waved his small arms, activating the wishes. They emitted a bright white light and leaped off the platform, hurtling down towards the land.

Peach's eyes shone as she saw the brightest shooting star yet, blazing in front of her. Bowser sighed silently as she clutched onto his arm tighter than before and he took in her soft fragrance. _Maybe there's a chance for "the bad guy" after all…when did this world get so wonderful? _

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the meteor shower began to slow down. Bowser looked at Peach adoringly as she rubbed her eyes and the platform began its descent. They would be at his Clown Car soon enough and then he would have to take her back as he had promised. He suddenly felt a pressing urge to say something to her, something romantic. It was now or never. "Uh, Peach? Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," Peach said with a yawn. "I mean, I'm sorry. That was rude of me to say; go ahead."

He looked into Peach's expectant eyes and felt his confidence fall. "Well…I wanna," he hesitated, "ask you to be a judge in the Koopa New Year's Games in about three weeks. I usually do it but I've been…called into service."

"A judge?"

"Yeah, it's kinda an ancient Koopa tradition. The Koopalings all choose knights and then there's a two-day tournament with all kinds of events. Whoever doesn't get eliminated wins and gets a prize of their choice. There's a lot of other stuff too, lots of feasts, games, decorations and general chaos."

"Sounds like fun. Why have you been called into service?"

Bowser snorted and smirked to himself. "It's Junior's first year that he's going to participate. Wouldn't you know that he'd pick his old man as his knight? Of course, since I'm the baddest Koopa around, nobody else has a chance. All of the other kids are mad about it. Anyhow, I can't be the judge, for obvious reasons, so we could really use your help."

Peach sighed under her breath. _Could use my help again?_ Bowser was getting too good at getting her to go along with whatever he wanted her to do. Even so, watching a Koopa Tournament sounded like a lot more fun than endless meetings about Koopa foreign policy. She was sure her advisers would be more than happy to let her go on another diplomacy trip to the Darklands. _Oh Stars, am I rationalizing this? _The platform stopped at the Clown Car and Peach made a face. She knew she would have to climb back down into the car and bear with the terrifying wobbling of the platform.

Unexpectedly, Bowser swiftly placed his arm around her back and slid both her and himself into the car in one movement. Peach was speechless in shaking fear until she realized that she was already safely inside the car. Nonetheless, she managed to squeak, "Please don't _ever_ do that again. I really thought I was falling!"

Bowser reluctantly removed his claw from around her waist and began to pilot the Clown Car down though the thick, misty clouds below. "You wouldn't have thought that if you had any faith in your trusty Koopa King. Besides, I promised to take you back in a few hours, not a few days. If we had waited for you to climb down by yourself, we would have been there all night!" he teased.

Peach looked shocked and defiantly protested, "We would not have been there all night! You didn't even let me start trying!"

"Of course not; you probably would've got scared and fallen."

"I would not, take it back!"

"No."

"Yes."

"Come to my kingdom for the festival and I will."

Peach narrowed her eyes playfully. "No way, you're _not_ going to win that easily. I want accommodations."

"Oh yeah, like what? Just name it."

Peach giggled. She did not really want anything but now felt compelled to think of an appropriate demand. "Uh, well, I want--well I don't know what I want."

"I've never met a girl who does."

"Oh c'mon, that's enough!" The car emerged from the clouds and in the distance; she could see her castle getting closer. "I guess you're just always such a good host, I don't feel like I could ask for anything else."

Bowser smiled at the praise. _She thinks I'm a good host! _"So, you'll come then?"

"I suppose I couldn't very well refuse."

Bowser grinned triumphantly. "No, you couldn't. Don't worry Princess; I'll make sure you'll have all the accommodations you could ever want."

The Clown Car stopped at her balcony to the confusion of the Mushroom guards below. Peach leapt out of the car onto the smooth marble balcony without any assistance from the Koopa King.

"You're getting better at that, Princess."

"Please, that little platform must have come straight from the Underwhere! After experiencing a ride on that, jumping from the Clown Car is nothing. In fact, I feel practically invincible."

Bowser chuckled. "Well, hopefully you'll still feel that way after those little Mushroomies thumb you down with all their non-stop meetings."

She groaned. "Why did you have to remind me? I had just forgotten."

She heard Toadsworth and a few other retainers making their way up her steps.

Bowser sighed, "That's my cue, gotta run."

"Goodnight Bowser. I had fun, thank you for showing me the shooting stars."

"Goodnight Peach, see you in three weeks." Just as he was piloting the Clown Car away, Toadsworth, Toadette, and a few servants burst into her chamber.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"What happened, Poppet? How did you escape from that foul creature?"

Peach stretched her mind for a proper explanation. She was not sure she was quite ready to explain that she was merely out on a stargazing expedition with the Koopa King. Instead, she said, "I made a negotiation with the Darklandians."

Fearing the worst, the Mushrooms anxiously crowded around the princess.

"In exchange for my safe return, I have agreed to go on a diplomacy trip to the Darklands in three weeks time. While I'm there I'll be serving on a weekend council of sorts for a Darklandian event."

The advisers burst into chatter at the news. "What the devil are those brutes trying to achieve by putting the princess on a council?"

"I have no doubt it's some kind of Pro-Darklands propaganda," said a Mushroom retainer. "They intend to play her sympathetic nature to gain better agreements for themselves. We mustn't let her go."

Peach folded her arms and pursed her lips. She was getting very tired of her advisers talking about her as if she were not there. Moreover, she had no idea her people could be so xenophobic when it came to the Koopas. She had taken quite enough; it had been a long enough day already.

"Well, I, for one, am just glad the princess is back safe and unharmed," Toadette said softly. "Can I get you anything, Your Majesty?"

"No, thank you Toadette. As for the rest of you, I've made a promise to a powerful foreign sovereign and I certainly intend to honor it."

"As you wish, Princess. If that is the case, we must start your preparations with double intensity tomorrow. We did not expect you to be called into duty again so soon."

Bowser's words echoed in Peach's head, "Hopefully you still feel that way after those Mushroomies thumb you down with all their endless meetings."

"I'm sorry but, I won't be attending any meetings tomorrow either."

"But Your Highness, you must!"

"No, I mustn't. I'm completely exhausted, entirely overworked, and very certain that it will all be waiting for me after I take the weekend off." Peach shook with nerves and adrenaline. This was what it felt like to assert herself. It was so amazingly empowering! No wonder Bowser pulled rank like this all the time. "Now that we have settled that, if there are no further questions, I am going to undress and go to bed. You may now leave."

The shocked advisers slowly meandered out of Peach's room in a single file line. Trailing the group was Toadsworth who looked back at the princess as she firmly closed the door behind him. _What in King Granbi's name has gotten into that girl? Maybe we've overworked her; I haven't seen her so resolutely defiant since she was a young lass. _Toadsworth hobbled down to his chambers shaking his head and hoping Peach's new attitude was only a phase.


	16. Let the Games Begin

**A/N: A somewhat smaller update than usual, but it's fun stuff. Cookies for those who can guess the inspiration for the names and attitudes of Larry and Wendy's knights. (Hint: they each are formed from the names of two celebrities.) Also, this chapter has some extremely mild **_**"themes".**_** If you read something, do a double take, and then decide you're uncomfortable, your browser has a nice little "back" button you can push. Alternatively, scroll forward; I don't care. Don't bother flaming me about it; it's not arbitrarily thrown in and it's reasonably relevant to the plot. Other than that little side note, hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

* * *

**

"You're a smelly cheater!" Larry called down the hallway towards his little brother.

"Nuh-uh! You're just mad 'cause I was the only one who thought of asking King Dad and now I'm gonna win."

Larry slammed the door to his room, jarring awake his roommate who mumbled something incomprehensible, turned over, and resumed snoring.

_Stupid cheating Junior, who does he think he is, picking King Dad as his knight? I didn't even know we could do that._

He looked up at a poster of his own knight. He had selected Khelps Koopham, the only Olympian in the world to have fourteen gold medals, each from a different sport. It seemed no matter what sport he was playing, Koopham always managed to play with style and grace. Renowned outside of the sporting world for his luxuriously chic lifestyle and his commitment to the environmental movement, Koopham was Larry's ultimate idol.

Naturally, no celebrity, no matter how big a name, would be foolish enough to turn down a request to play at the Darklandian New Year's Games. In the Darklands, there was no higher honor than to receive an invitation from a member of the Koopa royal family to participate.

Still, any judge in his or her right mind would have a strong incentive not to vote against the King. Larry sighed and climbed up into the top bunk, pulling the covers over himself as he snuggled in. _Stupid cheating jerk.

* * *

_

Luigi looked up at Daisy wearing a worried expression on his brow. Shielded from the bright, hot sun by a green and white striped awning, it was hard to feel close to the problems at hand while lounging about with Daisy in the Sarasa Land desert courtyards. Luigi rarely went out of town without his brother and he had to admit, it was rather relaxing.

Daisy took a sip of her raspberry iced tea and took Luigi's soft hands in hers, tilting her head sideways quizzically. "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me about?"

"I don't know; I'm getting worried about Mario. I don't want to cause any trouble but, I need to tell someone. I don't think I can just stand by quietly anymore."

"Oh sweetie, you know you can always tell me anything, what is it?" She asked, sincere, but also trying to hide the fact that she was eager to hear the hot gossip.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Oh Lu, you can always count on me."

"Okay, well—promise you won't make a big deal out of it?"

"Weegie please, just tell me, you need to get this off your chest."

"Alright, well, it's kind of hard to explain—are you really sure you want to hear it?"

"Luigi!" Daisy growled threateningly.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry, I'm just nervous."

Daisy's eyes widened and she leaned in closer as Luigi recounted the story of Mario's lie to Mama, his disappearances, and late night mysteriousness.

"Oh my Stars, this really is serious! I'm glad you could trust me enough to say something."

"You really think it's that bad?"

"Hm, I'm not sure. Do you think he is really going to ask Peachy to marry him?"

"I don't know. He really hasn't been himself lately though."

"Well, there's only one thing to do" Daisy said mischievously, finishing off her tea in a single gulp. "We need to figure out what's going on!"

"We do? But Daisy, you promised you weren't going to make a big deal out of this. I don't want to cause any trouble…"

"Oh Lulu, stop that. We're not going to cause any trouble; we're going to be sneaky about it. Nobody will even know we are there."

"You mean we're going to spy on Mario? That seems sort of wrong, doesn't it?"

"Well, it does if you put it that way. Look, you care about Mario and Peach, don't you? You want them to be happy, right?"

"Well…I…"

"Right. So then we've got to look after them and make sure everything is okay!"

Luigi sighed and agreed to Daisy's plan. He rationalized that there was no intrinsic harm in hiding out in some bushes with her for a few hours, if that was what she wanted to do. It might even be fun. Once she got her mind set on something, it was usually better just to go along with it. After all, that was part of what he loved about her.

* * *

"Deal me in brothas," Roy growled to the twins, who were passing out cards from behind a mountain of clay chips. The school did not specifically prohibit gambling; however, administrators certainly frowned upon it and they probably would have put a stop to the activity if they saw it happening. Nonetheless, there were eight Koopa boys seated at the wooden, octagon table waiting to receive their cards.

Iggy eyed his larger brother suspiciously; he knew why he was here. "It's been a long time since you've come to our weekly poker night Roy."

Lemmy chimed in, "Yeah, we thought you were still upset from the last time."

The others chortled as they remembered "the last time." Roy had flipped the table after he had lost all his chips, proclaiming that all of the players at table were cheating somehow. In reality, Roy was unaware that the entire table could see his cards reflected in his sunglasses. The boys were delighted to see that Roy had apparently not caught on and would be making the same mistake tonight, ensuring a fine profit for the rest of the table at the prince's expense.

"Yeah," said Iggy, "On what occasion are we receiving the honor of your presence?"

Roy furrowed his brows, roughly aware that the boys were making fun of him. He would have liked to pound them immediately, but he decided that he would have to keep his cool for tactical reasons. "Ah, ya know, jus' gettin' out, tryin' tah get away from homework, spend some time with tha boys, see how my little brothas are doin'."

"_See how my little brothers are doin'?"_ Now Iggy knew Roy was up to no good.

"Hit me," said the Koopa with blue hair and glasses.

The old joke about punching someone in the arm whenever someone said "hit me" had gotten old after the second game night so Lemmy dealt him a card nonchalantly and snuck a glance at Roy's cards via his sunglasses.

"Can't believe Junior picked Dad as his knight," Roy said, hoping to spur the intended conversation for the evening.

_I knew it!_ Iggy narrowed his eyes and replied coolly, "Yeah and everyone knows who Larry and Wendy picked."

"Bah, I fold." cried one of the others, looking into Roy's glasses.

Roy's attentions were piqued. He knew all about Larry's choice by bribing his little brother's roommate, but he had no idea about Wendy's pick. "Yeah, well, Big Mouth couldn't keep his trap shut, as usual, so I guess we know his pick too."

The twins looked at one another, "Actually…"

"We don't."

"Well, I might be able to help ya out there, ya know? You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

"What do you want to know?" asked Iggy blankly, dealing new cards and placing his initial bet, "We obviously won't be telling you our picks, but we have information on Junior, Larry, Wendy, and Ludo."

"I wanna know about Wendy and Ludo, everyone knows about Junior and Larry."

"You expect us to give you the scoop on Wendy and Ludo and you're only going to tell us about Morton? No deal, we'll tell you about Wendy for Morton.

Roy growled lowly, he had hoped to hear about Ludwig. As the oldest, he was usually a major threat. "Fine. Morton picked that big weenie Tutankoopa as his knight. What an idiot."

"Wendy's backing Konas Koopinson, you know, the 'teen sensation'? She's trying to get a role in his next movie."

All the boys at the table moaned in unison. "That guy makes me sick."

"Have you seen his movies? I wrote a letter asking for two hours of my life back."

"I hate that guy."

"Why him? Wendy can be in any movie of mine that she wants!"

Lemmy, Iggy, and Roy all turned and glared at the boy with blue hair who turned his eyes down and gulped his contraband drink. "You thinkin' our sister's a hottie?"

"Uh, well…"

"Because if so," Lemmy said, "we will gladly trap her in a cage and ship her to your house free of charge. No returns or exchanges though."

"Really?" he asked hopefully. "Deal."

All the boys at the table shook their heads and sighed, "Marcus, you're sick, you know that? What kinda pervert are you?"

"Well," Roy interrupted, "looks like competition on King Dad is turnin' out to be pretty light so far."

"Don't count your Yoshis before they hatch, Roy. There's still mine and Lemmy's picks, also Ludwig's and presumably your pick will be a suitable challenge?"

"Oh, wouldn't ya like to know?"

"Only about as much as you want to know what we've got on Ludo."

Roy growled again; he was losing the card game and hated anyone knowing anything he did not which, unfortunately for him, happened frequently. "Fine, I'll tell ya my pick if ya tell me what ya know about Ludo."

"Deal," the twins said in unison.

"Koolani Kai," Roy said in a deadpan voice.

"Dude, isn't that—"

"Yeah, tha only fighter who was so good she didn't need tah fight her way through the ranks o' tha Glitz Pit. I told ya mine, now tell me whatcha know about Ludo."

"Well…"

"We know he hasn't chosen anyone yet."

Roy had an immediate sinking feeling that his brothers had cheated him, which quickly gave rise to anger. "What! You've gotta be kiddin' me! That's not information!"

Iggy and Lemmy began protesting and explaining technicalities as Roy collected his meager pile of surviving chips. "And ya wonder why I don't play with ya cheatin' punks. I'm goin' tah bed." With that, he stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

"Looks normal to me," Daisy whispered to Luigi. "Almost a little too normal."

Peach had decided to use her lovely day off to get together with Daisy and the Mario Brothers and spend some time at a natural history museum. As they walked past the enormous fossils, Mario and Peach talked pleasantly and casually, like old friends and decidedly not like lovers.

Daisy and, to a lesser extent, Luigi had hoped to have a good opportunity to find out what was going on between Peach and Mario. However, they were disappointed to find that they were unlikely to make any discoveries if the couple detected their presence.

"If we want to find out anything, it's going to take a little more elbow grease," Daisy asserted.

"Um, what do you have in mind?"

"Espionage."

Luigi grimaced; sometimes Daisy could be a little scary.

"Oh don't look at me like that, it'll be fun."

_Fun. Right. _At this point, Luigi was not even sure if he really wanted to know what was going on. He hated surprises and had no idea what to expect; what if he saw something he did not want to see? He looked again at his brother, who was looking at exhibits and only halfway paying attention to the princess. He shook his head, _I hope you know what you're doing bro.

* * *

_

Ludwig tapped his claws on the wooden desk in front of him and rubbed his temples with stress. Everything was going wrong. His latest composition was, in his estimation, utter garbage; he had not chosen a knight for the upcoming Darklandian New Year's Games; an A minus in his number theory class was threatening his status as valedictorian. The slip in grades had everything to do with his clandestine obsession, who was also in his class. The Koopa sat halfway across the room and distracted Ludwig enormously. Of course, Ludwig was also lamenting that another quarter had come and gone and he had not so much as made eye contact.

He buried his face in his claws and groaned. _At what point did my existence become such horrible shit? _Ludwig shuddered with a perverse pleasure in his self-pity. He made an effort never to swear, not even in thought, as his considered swearing the sole province of the uneducated and uncreative. Oh, how low he had sunk.

Ludwig heard someone cough softly, closely in front of him, apparently trying to get his attention. His slowly drug his claws down his face as he raised his head with his eyes closed in a venomous expression. He was secretly looking forward to ripping into some poor sap for interrupting his pensive moment. He opened his eyes slowly, eyebrows raised, simultaneously opening his mouth in preparation to say something nasty, when he saw a pair of azure eyes in front of him. Those eyes, that hair, he recognized them immediately!

He froze up and clamped his mouth shut respectfully, looking into the eyes of his beloved, terrified.

Running a hand through his raven hair, the Koopa looked mildly uncomfortable. "I apologize for interrupting your personal time. I was wondering if I might temporarily borrow your textbook for number theory as mine has been…partially destroyed." He threw a dirty look towards his friends, who had fed part of his textbook to the Piranha Plant they were raising for a biology project. "I will only need to copy a few problems down, and then, rest assured; I shall be on my way."

The Koopa shrunk at the horrified expression on Ludwig's face. He knew it was a bad idea to follow his friends' advice and pretend he needed help to get the prince's attention. Rumor on campus was that Ludwig liked others to leave him alone and was particularly nasty to anyone who did not. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, I'll go to the library. Sorry to have disturbed you."

"No! Ahem, please, excuse my silence, I was merely trying to discern where I had seen your face before," he lied, instantly realizing how flimsy the excuse was, given that the Koopa had just asked about the class they both attended. Ludwig flipped through the pages frantically, hoping that he had not drawn any revealing doodles in the chapter, as was his usual practice during class. He cleared his throat nervously. "Please, have a seat. My name is Ludwig Von Koopa."

The Koopa ran his claw through his hair again nervously, "Yes, um, I was aware. I'm Lawrence."

_He was aware of my existence? By what fortune is this that I am graced with such a presence? Of what shall I speak? Quick Ludwig; even now, he is nearing the completion of his intended goal and you have accomplished little more than an unnecessary introduction. Think!_

"So, apart from number theory, what other courses do you attend?" Ludwig asked as casually as possible.

"Oh, this quarter I'm finishing up biology, a visual arts course, an engineering class, and a music theory class."

_Music Theory! _"Do you enjoy your music theory class?"

"No. Not at all, it's horrible. The lecture is dry and the examples are bad. I'm afraid I'm not learning much at all. I do enjoy music though; I've played the woodwind for many years."

Ludwig's eyes shined brightly as he continued to talk to the perfection before him. How in the world had there come to be such a perfect match sitting right next to him? Lawrence even shared his perceived inadequacies of the school's music department. He quickly realized that his greatest wish was to spend more time talking to Lawrence, getting to know every fascinating detail about him. He had not been this excited about something since he first discovered composing.

Lawrence smiled sheepishly as he looked up, indicating that he had finished copying the problem set from the textbook. "Well, I suppose I am finished here. Thank you very much for allowing me the use of your textbook. It was a great pleasure talking to you and perhaps I will see you around sometime."

"Wait!" Ludwig panicked, not ready for this golden moment to end. He could not bear the thought of another school vacation, another period without seeing him in his classes every day. Seeing Lawrence "around sometime" was not good enough; he wanted something concrete. "I would like to formally invite you to participate in the Darklandian New Year's Games on my behalf."

Lawrence dropped his books in surprise and fear, papers flooding across the floor. In a split second, Ludwig, the eldest son of the Koopa King and heir to the Darklandian throne, had just bestowed an incredible honor upon him, a mere novice student. He would be competing against the Darklands' best and brightest. He would be humiliated in front of Ludwig and the entire kingdom. He shook his head frantically. "I—I can't…"

"Will you deny my royal request?" Ludwig generally abhorred using his political influence for any kind of personal gain; however, he saw this as an extreme circumstance.

Lawrence looked down and whispered in a barely audible voice, "No Ludwig, I shall not deny you. I shall do my best to serve in your honor."


	17. Floating

**A/N: This is one of those chapters I started writing and realized that it was already really long and needed a good break point (and it didn't have a good break point so I just truncated it as cleanly as possible). I just broke the 50-review mark, which makes me super excited and happy that everyone seems to like the story so much! In my opinion, it's just not a princess story without a few dressing montages, so excuse my occasional purple indulgence. Also, this chapter acts as a sort of a prologue to an upcoming major event and certain turning points in the story. From here on out, it's about to get exciting! =P Enjoy!

* * *

**

_Dear Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom:_

_His Majesty King Bowser Koopa cordially invites you to participate in the Darklandian New Year's Games as an honorary judge._

Toadette looked up from the letter, a sheet of thick, textured parchment, which was almost half her size in length. "Princess? Do you think King Koopa personally wrote this invitation?"

Peach slowly turned to face her Mushroom retainer, tearing her eyes away from the glowing sunrise, which illuminated her easterly path to the Darklands. "Yes, I believe he did."

"Hmm, he sure has nice handwriting."

Peach resumed brushing her hair and turned to continue looking back at the beautiful sunrise through the windows of her French doors. "Yes, he certainly does," she said absently.

"I wonder if they have to order special paper that is big enough for him to write on. I mean, look at this, this is a little ridiculous." Toadette held the paper up to herself in demonstration.

Peach giggled, "It seems a bit excessive, doesn't it? But then, that's Bowser, he's a little excessive in everything he does." Peach took the oversized paper from Toadette and grazed the royal seal with her gloved hands. "In any case, they certainly have the resources to be so excessive. Last time I was in the Darklands—it wasn't at all what I expected, Toadette."

The diminutive pink toad cocked her head in curiosity and Peach continued, "Well, did you know that ninety-eight percent of all Darklandians are college-educated? In the Mushroom Kingdom, we consider ourselves fortunate that our literacy rate is that high. They have an extensive agrarian sector and they have _green grass_!"

Toadette smiled awkwardly, Her Majesty was obviously very impressed with Koopa's kingdom. The way she praised it made her both feel happy and a bit strange. "Princess…"

"Your Highness? Are you quite ready?" Toadsworth's shout echoing though the door was loud enough to interrupt Toadette's whisper.

Peach opened the door, revealing the stately pink gown and the traveling cloak she was wearing. "Yes, I suppose I am ready."

"But Your Highness, where is your luggage?"

"I am…well provided for at the Darklandian Castle."

Toadsworth gave her a brief look of shocked concern, but quickly straightened and decided to cease asking questions. _The poor girl, I simply cannot imagine how it must feel to be forced to bring herself to that dreadful place. Her selflessness and courage on behalf of the Mushroom Kingdom is nothing short of astounding. _He continued down the hall by Peach's side in reverent silence.

"Toadsworth, I have the emergency communicator in case the situation takes a turn for the worse," Peach started. "Because I am well aware of how our people view the Darklandian Empire, I feel it would be most wise to keep this diplomacy trip confidential…and that includes the Mario Brothers."

"Indeed Your Majesty, we will all be sworn to the strictest secrecy and the Mario Brothers will only be informed in case of an absolute emergency."

"Thank you Toadsworth."

Peach's maroon traveling cloak billowed in the breeze as they reached the carriage, which awaited her by the fountain outside the castle. Her retainers called to her as the carriage pulled away, "Good luck, Your Highness; please return to us safely."

The Mushroom Kingdom had planes, it had trains, and it had boats, yet still, the carriage was the traditional method of princess transport and the carriage was what Princess Peach often took. The coach, a well-preserved antique form her grandmother's era, was ridiculously ornate with its gold trim and large feathery plumes. Peach rolled her eyes every time she saw ostentatious contraption, thinking it a wonder that bandits did not overtake the plush carriage whenever she traveled.

Peach brushed apart the blue, tasseled curtains and pressed herself against the window of the coach. The sun filtered through the trees of the forest and she could hear dry leaves crunching under the wooden wheels.

Peach closed her eyes and sighed. The ball rolling in the pit of her stomach told her she was feeling nervous again, but she could not understand why. She clasped her gloved hands together tightly and wished that the Stars might lend her strength. Satisfied that there was no more she could do to ease her feelings, she leaned back in the plush chair and watched the scenery roll by turning from a cheery light green to a darker green as they came ever closer to the Darklands.

* * *

Mario looked at Pauline softly as she prepared to swing her club at the little red golf ball in front of her.

"Oh Mario, I'm so glad we could get together like this on my day off." She hit the ball; it was a good shot. "I've never been invited to play golf before, well, even if this is just mini golf, it's still great!"

Mario smiled at her; she looked funny among all of the windmills, fountains, and other strange sculptures, but beautiful nonetheless, like a picture from the strange dreams he often had.

"Mm hm hm, hole in two, Mario. Can you match that?"

Mario smirked and tapped his golf ball with precision, sending it straight into the hole.

"Wow, you're really good! Why don't we have a little wager? Whoever loses buys dinner for the both of us?"

"Okie dokie."

She winced as her next stroke landed her ball right into a water trap. _Mario never was the type to turn down free food._ Ever the gentleman, the plumber in red graciously offered to fish her ball out of the little lake. As he was doing so, she turned her face towards the bright sun, letting its rays warm her. It was a beautiful day to be _al fresco_.

* * *

The carriage pulled to a stop, looking extraordinarily out of place, its fine wooden curves overshadowed by the menacing, rigid structure of the stony Darklandian palace in the background. From the lowered drawbridge came an elderly Magikoopa in violet robes, flanked by a younger Magikoopa in white robes, a young Boo, and two heavily armored Koopatrols.

Toadsworth opened the door for Peach and spun to meet the elderly Magikoopa's stare. "Lady Kammy," he said, without a tone of mirth in his voice.

"Sir Toadsworth," she returned, equally nastily.

Oblivious to the icy elders, Peach smiled when she saw Kamea and Kitty had come to greet her. She looked around briefly, expecting to see Bowser or the Koopalings. As if she could read Peach's mind, Kammy replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty will, for obvious reasons, be unable to visit with you until the beginning of the ceremony. Please accept our apologies. Now, if you would be so kind, we must hurry into the castle, we have many preparations in order."

_Humph, the nerve of that unpleasant old witch! I certainly hope she is kind to Her Majesty._

Toadsworth once again bowed deeply in reverent admiration of Peach for the incredible sacrifices she was willing to make on behalf of her kingdom. "Good luck, Your Majesty."

Peach smiled and waved, feeling a bit awkward and suddenly quite lonely. "Um, goodbye Toadsworth…"

Kammy folded her arms impatiently as the carriage drove away. She walked briskly towards the castle and, once inside, commanded the Koopatrols to close the drawbridge.

"We haven't got much time. Take Princess Peach to her room and begin her preparations," she instructed Kitty and Kamea. "I will be in to assist you shortly." With that, she disappeared into a puff of smoke and geometric shapes.

"Um," Peach started, "is everything okay with Lady Kammy? What did she mean by preparations?"

Kitty smiled, "Yeah, don't worry. She's just in one of her moods because Lord Bowser has put her in charge of so many preparations this year. Usually he'd take care of a lot of the stuff, but this year he can't since he is competing."

"What exactly is this competition?"

"Hm, it is easy to forget that Your Highness has never before witnessed a Darklandian New Year," Kamea replied. "I think it would be most fun for you to see for yourself when you arrive."

In a bright flash, Kammy Koopa appeared holding a bundle of fabric and various golden implements. The elderly Magikoopa dumped her cargo on the bed and shuffled over to the princess with a golden, moon-shaped comb and a bowl of hot water. Simultaneously, the two maids produced similar combs and began to brush and style Peach's hair by dipping the combs into the scalding water, then brushing them though stands of her hair in an attempt to tame it. Peach winced as the various combs pulled though her hair, forcing it to be perfectly straight.

"Our apologies, Princess," mumbled the young Magikoopa, whose face was twisted into a gaze of determination. "The hairstyling is the first step of Darklandian traditional dress; well, as traditional as it gets for Human royalty anyway." The three retainers worked tirelessly for twenty minutes, first pulling Peach's golden strands up into an ornate bun. Afterwards, they adorned the bun with various combs and pins, which had beautifully dangling metal bits that made delicate chiming noises with each movement of her head.

Afterward, the three women had unfolded the bundle of fabric Kammy had brought. It looked like a large, thin bed sheet in a very pale pink.

"Excuse me, what is that sheet for?"

Kitty giggled, "It's not a sheet, Princess; it's your dress! Um, I'm going to have to ask you to, uh…"

"Disrobe, please." Kammy said, in a deadpan voice.

Peach looked mildly uncomfortable, and looked in the direction of the curtained windows before complying with the Magikoopa's request. _I guess we're all ladies in here. _Kitty quickly fastened the edges of the fabric sheet around Peach's shoulders with two golden brooches: medallions in the traditional shape of the Darklandian royal seal. Then, she tied a soft golden rope around Peach's waist to secure the rest of the fabric. "I hope you won't mind but, we had to make some modifications to the traditional Darklandian garb to accommodate your shape."

Peach admired her _chiton _in the mirror. She was amazed that one could do so much with a sheet of fabric. The drape was amazingly flattering as was the painstakingly detailed golden embroidery lacing the edges of the fabric. As she kneaded the fine, silky fabric between her thumb and fingers, she realized that she somehow felt both beautiful and powerful. Today, she felt like more than a princess, she felt like a goddess. "No, please, this is wonderful. Thank you."

Out of nowhere, Kamek's voice came wafting though the room. "Ladies, I hope your preparations are nearly complete. Our float is ready and the procession will be starting in fifteen minutes."

Kammy narrowed her eyes at the invisible voice, "Thanks very much Kamek, we are aware," she retorted icily.

Kitty and Kamea began working at double speed pushing several rings and bangles onto Peach's fingers and arms. Kamek's announcement had soured Kammy's already volatile mood. She pushed the two girls out of the way. "Oh, let me." Peach shrunk back as Kammy waved her wand and send dozens of magically animated brushes to attack her with powders and creams. In thirty seconds, the whole ordeal was over. "Come," ordered Kammy, gesturing to the princess.

"Ah, don't forget your shoes!" Kitty offered Peach a pair of fine golden sandals with thin straps meant to lace to the knee.

"Thank you but, aren't you two coming to the event?"

Kitty and Kamea looked down. "We will most likely come later, amidst the general crowd."

"Nonsense," Peach cried. Sensing their disappointment she added, "That won't do, you must come with me. What if—what if I need something while I'm there? I must insist that you come along, I'm certain His Majesty will not be displeased." The two retainers smiled excitedly and hastily accepted the invitation, commenting on Peach's wonderful foresight and wisdom.

"_His Majesty?" Since when is King Koopa "His Majesty"? _Kammy lead the three girls to the side entrance of the castle where they would embark on their float. _She's right though, she could get away with murder and "His Majesty" would just be glad there was one less person in the world to annoy her. I wonder what kind of cock-and-bull story I could tell her so that she might ask His Nastiness to give me more vacation time._

Peach's eyes widened at the sight of the glorious parade floats in the hangar directly outside of the castle. Already, Koopatrols were keeping a close eye on the considerable crowd, which had gathered to catch an early glimpse of the floats and confirm the rumors about Princess Peach's appearance. As directed by Kammy, Peach carefully ascended the soft floral steps of her float, grasping the cool metal handrail. Nobody in the Darklands seemed to care much for gloves. She gasped audibly when she saw that three large Chain Chomps would pull the refined flowery float. Not surprisingly, the elements of the procession that were unrelated to her took on a much darker feel. Cheep Cheeps and Bone Dragons flew by while Koopatrols in ancient armor practiced marching in perfect formation.

Kammy nestled in to the plush throne on Peach's left and sighed with relief. "Your attendant girls will meet us at our destination; there isn't enough room to accommodate all five of us."

Kamek appeared in a puff of smoke, effectively answering Peach's unspoken question about the identity of the fifth member of the party. He deftly plucked a red gummy Yoshi from a little bag he was holding and graciously offered some gummies to Peach and Kammy.

Kammy returned his offer with a tired look. In some ways, he was just as obnoxious and irritating as the Koopalings, just in a more senile way. "Aren't you supposed to be in charge of starting the procession?"

"Well…no. Apparently my job has been…outsourced, shall we say?"

"What do you mean 'outsourced'?"

As if on cue, General Guy rolled up in his toy tank, wheels squeaking, lights flashing, and whistles blowing. "All right troops, ten hut! Everybody in position!"

Kammy adjusted her glasses and applied pressure to the bridge of her nose with her hand. "Good Granbi in the Overthere, not that unorganized moron."

"Well, at least we know that His Highness has a sense of humor, no?"

General Guy wheeled about in his tank making sure everything was in order for their departure. He called to Princess Peach, "My Lady, I am pleased you could make it! Lovely weather we're having isn't it?"

"Will you get on with it?" Kammy hissed at the General, "We're going to be late as it is."

"Ten-Four, ma'am. Troops proceed!"

The little float lurched as the three Chain Chomps began pulling. The crowd unleashed a deafening roar of cheers when they saw the floats and the princess emerging from the hangar. Kamek waved and occasionally tossed candy to the children of the spectators lining the sides of the parade path.

"Today, you are taking the place of Lord Bowser," Kammy said, with a bored expression, "so feel free to go ahead and wave or do whatever else you would do in a Mushroom Kingdom procession."

Peach took the gentle hint and stood up to wave and pose to the crowd. Some cute Koopa children were holding up Peach dolls, shouting, and pointing up at her, while others were enjoying the magical treats summoned by Kamek. The carefully landscaped path on which they were travelling held lush green grasses and colorful patches of flowers, very strange given the Darklandian setting.

"Does this event really happen every year in the Darklands?" Peach finally asked Kamek, feeling foolish waving in silence.

"Admittedly, the King went out of his way to be a little more festive this year."

"By 'a little more festive', he means to say that His Greatness built a new coliseum just for the event."

"A Coliseum?"

"Well, it's really a lot more than that; it's where all the festivities will take place. See for yourself." Kammy pointed to a large white structure in the distance. It was a Classical style building of pristine white marble, elaborately carved with all the ostentatious flourish of the more traditional Darklandian style. Ivy vines swirled around each column in the peristyle, the dark greens contrasting wonderfully against the bright white.

"Yes, it seemed that His Highness was quite concerned; somewhat recently, some foreign dignitaries visited the Darklands and remarked on their surprise to find greenery in the Darklands. He wanted the world to be absolutely clear that Darklandian ecosystem not only supports a variety of flora, but also that the volcanic ash our region produces encourages the plant life to grow lush and thick."

Peach blushed, embarrassed that the offhand comment that had tumbled out her mouth one day had made such a profound impact on Bowser. _He decided to build a flowery float, a landscaped path, and an entire coliseum out of white marble just so people like me wouldn't find his kingdom to be dreadful and gloomy. _Peach made a mental note to praise Bowser's work when she got the chance to speak with him. "It looks lovely."

At last, the floats reached the large gates of the coliseum, their menacing structure softened by the choice of shining gold material. Peach and the elderly Magikoopas disembarked the float. Kitty and Kamea soon joined them and led the princess down a narrow corridor and up a stairway with torches and greenery on the walls. They emerged on a shaded balcony with a close view of the dusty arena below.

"Mama Peach, you're finally here!"


	18. Our Heroes

**A/N: Well, I meant to post this three days ago but Document Manager was giving me tons of trouble. About the chapter: it seems that most of the Yoshis in Mario games don't have names other than "Yoshi", "Boshi", and "(color) Yoshi". This leads me to believe that Yoshi names are probably impossible to pronounce if you don't speak the Yoshi language. I wanted to call 'em something, and figured the Koopas would too, so I named 'em. Yes, it's based on Japanese; no I'm not a weeaboo (Spanish didn't work). Enjoy!  


* * *

**

Junior rushed to give the princess a hug as the rest of the Koopalings smiled brightly from their plush thrones. "You sit over here, next to me!"

Peach took her place next to the excited young prince, nestling into the lush pillows and fabrics lining her throne. Junior quickly scrambled onto her lap while adjusting his jeweled cuffs that Kammy had made him wear for the occasion.

"You look very nice today, Junior," she remarked, taking notice of the rest of the Koopalings' attire.

Ludwig was wearing a deep blue cape, which had gold shoulder plates attached. It appeared that he had painstakingly groomed his usual mess of blue hair in such a fashion that it still appeared messy, but was obviously intentionally so. Except for his frequent nervous shifting, he looked every bit the part of the noble crown prince. The twins were wearing jeweled cuffs similar to Junior's along with matching red sashes tied around their upper arms. Roy was looking exceptionally dangerous, clad in a long black cape and more silver spikes than Peach had ever seen in her entire life. Kammy had deprived him of his trademark sunglasses; his kohl-rimmed eyes, unused to the sun, were squinting malevolently. Morton wore a light blue toga and an expression of excitement while, curiously, Larry seemed to be wearing something of a raccoon outfit. Perhaps most stunning of all was Wendy, who was wearing a tall crown like that of a Thai dancer, along with dozens of glittery jeweled bangles and a perfectly painted face.

"Thanks Mama Peach! Are you excited for the contests?"

"I suppose I am, but I don't know what they are."

Before Junior could describe the contests to her, a trumpet rang out and an elderly Magikoopa in a tall hat, flowing white robes, and a red tippet addressed the crowd in that strange language Peach could not understand. He droned on in the mysterious language, gesturing and raising his arms to throw salts and urge the crowd to repeat some of his chants. The Koopalings yawned and sunk in their chairs, but dutifully repeated the chants of the elders in the mysterious tongue.

When the speech was over, and the crowd resumed talking, Peach leaned over to the Koopalings. "What was that language, the one that old Koopa was speaking just now?"

"That's the ancient language of the Koopas," Iggy said.

"And you all speak and understand it?"

"Mostly. It's something we learn about in school, but honestly the old clergy gives the same speech every year, so it's kinda ingrained. I could probably translate it for you, if you'd like, but the speech is about as interesting as one of Morton's jokes."

"Hey!" Morton interjected, "That old, ancient, geezer man is way more totally and completely boring than my super-cool, super-funny, awesome, amazing jokes!"

"Don't worry Mama Peach, nobody really says anything important in that language, and if they do, just make Junior translate for you, I hear he could use the practice."

Junior shot Iggy a defensive look; he was not proud of the fact that he regularly received low marks on his ancient language tests. Most Koopa children were born with more of an innate aptitude for the language, but Bowser had assured the little prince that it was perfectly natural that he was a little behind in that area. "You'll just have to work extra hard to make your old man proud," he had growled.

Just then, an announcer's voice broke through the low din of the crowd. "Your attentions please, lords and ladies, citizens of the Darklands! It is time to welcome our eight legendary competitors!"

The cheer from the crowd was deafening and Junior clung to Peach as she stood at the railing of the balcony to get a better view of the competitor's entrance gate. "I, Raphael the Raven, will be your _compère _for this year's festival. Without further ado, may I present the competitors! First, a mighty presence who needs no introduction; representing the Koopa royal bloodline and championing his own son, the esteemed Bowser Koopa Jr., give it up for His Royal Majesty, King Bowser Koopa!"

Bowser strutted out of the gate to a crashing wave of noise. He wore a long crimson cape around his shoulders, clasped by an oxidized silver chain. He first gave his sweet princess a smile before running his claw though his fiery mane and let out a blood-curling roar.

"Yeah, that's my papa!"

"Next, an athlete of amazing prowess, representing His Majesty Larry Koopa, fourteen-time gold medalist Khelps Koopham!" A thin, muscular Koopa jogged out of the gate winking at the ladies and smiling brightly. He offered to shake hands with the Koopa King, who begrudgingly reciprocated.

"Next, representing Morton Koopa Jr., a mysterious Magikoopa of the desert, give your applause to Tutankoopa!" Tutankoopa levitated self-importantly, adjusting his pharaoh's crown and stopping next to the posing athlete.

"Representing Her Highness Wendy O. Koopa, we have popular teen idol, Konas Koopinson!" The hysterical shrieks of several fan girls comingled with ubiquitous groans from male crowd members as Koopinson stalked out of his cage, half-drunk with a moody expression.

"We love you Konas! Have my babies!"

"Ahem, yes, next we have the deadliest toll-collector this side of the Midas River. Representing His Highness Iggy Koopa, though bearing no relation, let's hear it for Kent C. Koopa!" When announced, Kent skipped out of the gate and waved at the crowd members gawkily. Konas scoffed for being in the same arena as the socially awkward Kent, and silently vowed to contact his agent about it later.

"A female fighter who's all about mixing it up in the Glitz Pit; representing Prince Roy Koopa is the legendary, the incredible, Koolani Kai!" A bulky female Koopa with pink hair and a pink shell stormed out of the gate and threw her hands in the hair, basking in the cheers from the crowd. Bowser nodded to her in respectful acknowledgement.

"Representing Prince Lemmy Koopa, the terror of Yoshi's Island, Hookbill!" A large, unintelligent looking, red-shelled Koopa burst through the gate while waving, stuttering, and nearly tripping over his own feet.

"And last but certainly not least, a mysterious youth and fellow gifted student at the Darklandian Academy; representing Crown Prince Ludwig von Koopa, give your attentions to Lawrence Koopin!"

Lawrence walked out into the dusty arena with his eyes closed, his nervous muscles frozen in a rigid posture. His silky raven hair matched his black Magikoopa robes, which billowed in the hot winds. Roy narrowed his eyes at his older brother. Surely, he did not think that some dumb student would be able to take on King Dad. No, Ludo was smarter than that; obviously, the duo had some tricks up their sleeves.

"Now, our three judges, the Lady Kammy, Lord Kamek, and Her Majesty Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom, shall go into the arena and greet the competitors.

Kammy motioned for Peach to follow her and Kamek down the marble steps into the round arena.

"Just smile, say hello, and shake hands," Kammy whispered, "Kamek and I will use our abilities to examine the competitors. It's only a formality."

Peach nodded and then approached Bowser cautiously. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess," he said with a grin as he grasped her hand and kissed it gently. Taken aback, Peach quickly clasped her hands together and tried to fight the violent blush invading her cheeks.

Kamek shook hands with the various competitors, discreetly assessing their physical capabilities and prowess. He greeted Lawrence warmly. _A young Magikoopa? How very unique. _After shaking the student's hand, Kamek could not resist a look back at Ludwig with eyebrows raised in amused interest. _Oh my, how very unique indeed._

At last, the judges had finished greeting the competitors. Kammy raised her wand to her mouth and said, "We the judges have finished the preliminaries and are ready to make our first elimination."

The crowd roared in shock and Peach spun to face the Magikoopa. She had no idea she was supposed to be prepared to eliminate anything.

"I have detected the use of certain enhancement substances not approved by the Darklandian Royal Council. Khelps Koopham is hereby disqualified from participating in the Darklandian Games. Furthermore, he shall submit to a review of the legitimacy of the rest of his achievements."

Larry screamed in outrage and then buried his head in his claws. _My hero! How could he? _Larry was not sure that Koopham ever stood a chance against King Koopa, but he was ashamed to learn that his ultimate idol was something of a fraud.

"Oh Larry, I'm so sorry." Peach attempted to comfort the distraught Koopaling as she took her place back on the balcony. "It doesn't seem fair does it? Sometimes our heroes just aren't who we thought they were."

* * *

"Here, I'll calculate the score on my phone, it'll be faster that way, and also I can make sure you're not slipping in any extra points."

Mario gave Pauline a playfully offended expression.

"Oh, don't look at me that way. You can be almost as bad as your cousin, Wario! Besides, I remember back in school, you were terrible at math."

Mario responded by dipping his fingers in a nearby water trap and flicking the water droplets towards her face.

"Oh my Stars, you're the same now as you were back then. Mom was right; men never grow up. Well, I guess I'm lucky I'm with you though; you only fling water. Do you remember that time when you had to save me from Donkey Kong?" She shuddered, "Well, on second thought, I'd rather not mention all the things he'd fling about. Hey, look, you won. Wow, you won by a landslide, I guess I have to take you out to dinner later."

Mario smiled in mock triumph; he was looking forward to a nice dinner out with Pauline.

"Well, we have a bit of time before it's really dinner hour. I wonder what we should do until then," she asked, fixing Mario with a devious smile. "Mm, I just remembered I have this awesome little place I've been dying to show you, let's go!"

* * *

Peach clasped her hands softly in her lap as she watched the colorful Yoshis line up for a race. She had so many questions she was not sure where to start, or even if her questions were appropriate.

"You look a little troubled, Your Majesty," remarked Kitty, handing her a fancy glass goblet of orange liquid. "Mango juice; it gets really hot out here so it's my job to keep you hydrated."

"Mm, thank you. Yes, I have some questions, but I'm not sure if it would be offensive to ask."

"You won't offend me Mama Peach, I ask lots and lots of questions all day long, and nobody is ever offended because I say so and I'm the boss." Morton replied energetically.

"Um, okay, well, I was wondering why some Koopas look like Kamek and Kammy, while other Koopas, like Lawrence and Koolani, look a bit more like King Bowser and the Koopalings."

"Simple," replied Iggy, "It has to do with bloodlines and stuff. The Koopa royal family has always looked this way. Then, when we were back on a caste system, the more "upper class" you were, the more you looked like us. Now, those changes can be made with magic, and basically, families who have done some service to the royal family get to look like us for some number of generations."

"Oh, I see," Peach said, not sure if she fully understood.

"Anything else, Your Highness?"

"Well, I had kind of wondered what the Yoshis were doing here. I know that the Yoshis are not traditional members of the Koopa Troop."

"You're correct, Princess," said Kammy, who had returned from the refreshment table with a plateful of grapes. "The Koopa Nation and the Yoshi nation have had a historical master and slave relationship. Until this year, the Yoshis firmly refused to participate in our games, although traditionally they were very important and involved in many aspects of the celebration."

"So what changed?"

"His Nastiness offered some generous grants to various Yoshi tribes. He also signed some specific contracts of participation, including a ban on a game where the competitors attempt to prevent the Yoshis from reclaiming a model of the Super Happy Tree, the national tree of Yoshi independence. We are also banned from referring to any Yoshi as a 'Green Donkey', a traditional name, which many Yoshis now apparently consider a racial epithet."

"Oh my."

Raphael's voice suddenly boomed across the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the arena as the knights mount their noble steeds. First, Lawrence Koopin and Aoshi." Lawrence gracefully mounted a somber dark blue Yoshi with a shiny red shell.

"Hookbill and Akashi." Akashi, a fleet-footed red Yoshi looked at the large Koopa nervously and strained under the weight of Hookbill's bulk.

"Kent C. Koopa and Midoshi!" Kent gave Midoshi a gentle pat on her long green neck before saddling up for the race.

"Koolani Kai and Momoshi!" The brawny female Koopa was already atop her equally brawny pink steed.

"Konas Koopinson and Murashi!" The proud purple Yoshi stuck her nose up in the air as she paced with the handsome movie star on her back.

"Tutankoopa and Kiiroshi!" Tutankoopa looked a little frightened of the spirited yellow Yoshi under him.

"And finally, His Majesty Bowser Koopa and Kuroshi!" The crowd went wild as Bowser hopped on the sturdy black Yoshi. Peach giggled a little; even though Kuroshi was quite large for a Yoshi, the massive Koopa looked quite out of place on the back of a creature that was so much smaller than he was.

The Yoshis and their riders all took their places at the starting mark. Raphael announced that the riders would race five laps around the expansive arena. Kamek held his wand out in the air, "On your mark, get set, go!" A burst of shapes flew from the wand and the racers sped from the starting line.

Around the first lap, the competitors appeared evenly matched, with a slight lead to the speedy Momoshi and Koolani, with Murashi and Konas hot on their heels. During the second lap, Kent and Lawrence fell behind a little, while Hookbill made a dash from the middle to the front.

The Koopalings cheered and hollered for their respective teams, though in these games, it winning mattered much less than losing. The winner would receive a reward of some sort, while the loser would be eliminated from the competition.

Things began to heat up in the third lap. Bowser and Kuroshi edged towards the front of pack, edging out the competition with Bowser's sheer bulk. In response, Koolani urged Momoshi to press against the duo to force them to travel diagonally, cutting their speed. However, the fourth lap held the most dramatic turn of events. Kuroshi, Momoshi, Miroshi, and Akashi, the Yoshis who carried the heaviest of racers, began to feel the fatigue of toting their heavy racers. The other three Yoshis with lighter riders were more than happy to take advantage of the situation and soon found themselves in the top three.

At the beginning of the fifth and final lap, Lawrence, Konas, and Tutankoopa found themselves neck and neck, racing towards the finish line. Konas grinned maliciously at Lawrence and stuck his foot out to kick Aoshi. Lawrence's well-aimed claw deflected Konas' foot. Tutankoopa merely clutched Kiiroshi's neck for dear life and silently prayed to the Stars that it would not be another "one of those days." The high-energy Yoshi saw the finish line in the distance and called upon all of his reserve energy to sprint towards the finish. The yellow Yoshi sped past the feuding purple and blue and crossed the finish line in record time.

Morton leaped from his chair, cheered, jabbered, and blew raspberries at his siblings. Junior could not believe his dad had lost at anything; he was one place away from elimination for Granbi's sake!

Akashi bucked Hookbill, the last place competitor, off his back as they crossed the finish line, and then stomped off to go enjoy the fruit and refreshments promised by the festival committee. Lemmy sighed and then shrugged his shoulders as Koopatrols escorted his eliminated knight out of the arena.

"Congratulations Morton!" Peach said warmly. "What do you and Tutankoopa win for coming in first place?"

The Yoshis refreshed themselves with water and fruit as Morton told her, in his extended way, that Tutankoopa would have immunity from elimination for the next game. The crowd rejoiced as tiny sprinklers turned on to help relieve the heat from the sweltering mid afternoon sun. Kitty smiled happily as she waved Peach with a comically large fan and ate a tiny pastry. The buffet spread for the royal family was fabulous; Kitty and Kamea were thrilled to have the amazingly good fortune to be able to join Her Majesty as she watched the games.

* * *

Toadworth hovered nervously by the emergency communicator, prepared to pounce on it if it were to ring. He knew he should probably be enjoying his day off, but he could not help but worry for the princess' safety.

He shuffled some papers about, what the Queen Jaydes those monsters wanted from Peach, he could not imagine. He shuddered; rather, he could imagine what at least one of those monsters could be hoping to accomplish.

_The way that nasty old conjurer behaved this morning! Completely unacceptable! Ordering around Her Majesty as if she, a lowly Magikoopa, had any right even to address the princess._

The more Toadsworth thought about it, the more enraged he became until, on his desk amidst the mess of papers, he saw something to make him smile.

_Hmm, it has been quite some time since I have held any kind of congregation for the Silver Club. Yes, perhaps it is time that I do so, after all, we certainly won't be getting any younger._

Having temporarily forgotten about the plight of his royal charge, he hobbled off to receive permission from the king to hold an event for his Silver Club comrades.

"For our next exciting event, may we have our third and fourth place racers come to the stadium: Lawrence Koopin and Koolani Kai! The two Koopas will once again mount their noble Yoshis to participate in a challenge of strength and skill: jousting!"

Roy threw a smirk at Ludwig, who nervously picked at the edges of his cape. He could not wait to see what a puny little Magikoopa-in-training would do against the raw brawn of the legendary Kai.

Lawrence placed an iron helmet upon his head and lowered the visor before mounting the armor-clad Aoshi. A few Parakoopas handed him the lance, which was spiral striped in white and ebony woods. He almost dropped the lance as he grasped it; it was heavier than he expected. He could see his opponent across the arena preparing similarly, though she seemed to have a tighter grip on her lance. He chanced a glance at Ludwig, who looked positively sick with worry. _Why did he ask me to do this? Did he really think I stood a chance in any of these games?_

He called upon his magic to help steady his lance as he rode out to meet his fearsome opponent. Raphael announced that the two Koopas would race toward each other in attempt to knock the other off their Yoshi. They had three attempts and if nobody knocked the other off, the match would be declared a draw, and nobody would be up for elimination. Of the defeated Koopas, the Koopa who performed the worst in the racing event would be eliminated.

Finally, the wind settled in the dusty arena and the gong sounded, signaling the jousters to begin. Lawrence felt the breeze through the slits of his visor as Aoshi ran at full speed. He saw his opponent appear closer and closer until he ducked down, closed his eyes, and prepared for the inevitable crash. However, the crash did not come for either party.

"Missed on the first round! Knights, prepare for round two!"

Lawrence's heart hammered in his armored chest and he breathed heavily. It was a miracle he had found the courage to make the initial run; now he had to do it again? The gong sounded once more and the steadfast Aoshi ran at full speed. Lawrence's fondest hope was to achieve a draw, knowing that he would be unable, without perfect aim, to dismount Kai. However, the Magikoopa would not be so lucky. As the two competitors neared, Koolani struck Lawrence directly in the center of his armored carapace, knocking him cleanly off Aoshi. He landed hard on the dirt floor and the crowd cheered with excitement.

Lawrence clutched his arm in pain and took in a few short breaths. Medi Guys ushered Lawrence out of the arena while Bowser and Tutankoopa prepared to face off. Ludwig looked into the stadium, horrified.

"What a blow, Koopin looks to be injured! Next up, Tutankoopa and His Majesty King Bowser Koopa. Remember folks, if His Majesty gets knocked off his steed in this event, it's all over for Prince Bowser Jr."

"C'mon King Dad, knock his block off!" Junior yelled. Morton opened his mouth to protest, but Peach reminded him that Tutankoopa would remain in the game no matter the outcome of this event.

The gong sounded and Kuroshi and Kiiroshi ran towards each other on a collision course. Tutankoopa frowned and lowered his head, his robes fluttering in the wind. As the two passed each other, Bowser felt his lance get somewhat heavier. He looked up at the tip of his lance and saw that he had caught Tutankoopa by his robes.

"Well, look what I've got here!" he chortled, before flinging Tutankoopa from the lance to the other side of the arena, where he landed with a crash.

"And the victory goes to King Bowser Koopa! The Medi Guys have just informed me that Lawrence Koopin is okay, suffering only a minor strain to his right arm. Up next are Kent C. Koopa and Konas Koopinson!"

Konas strode out to the field, ready to face off against the large, nerdy Koopa before him. Kent plodded out good-naturedly, hoping to teach the haughty pretty-boy a little something about egotism. The gong sounded and the green and purple Yoshis charged one another. At the decisive moment, Konas barely dodged Kent's lance, then quickly spun around and threw his own lance like a javelin right into the back of Kent's helmet, knocking Kent off his Yoshi, onto the ground where he fell unconscious.

Peach covered her eyes in horror while the audience moaned in sympathy.

"What a nasty trick!" called the Raven announcer, "Kent C. Koopa is eliminated from the tournament!"

"Shoot!" Iggy yelled, as his sister watched Konas preen himself unapologetically.

"Second in the Yoshi race and winner of a jousting round," Wendy boasted. "I think it's totally safe to say that _my _knight is winning."

"Oh yeah? You just wait, King Dad won't lose to some stupid pretty-boy; you're going down!" Junior retorted.

Ludwig, who would normally join in with his siblings' competitive banter and sling about a few bombastic insults, could do little more than worry about his injured competitor. _Perhaps I was iniquitous to persuade him to participate. Was I being too egocentric and inconsiderate?_

Peach, who had noticed the Koopaling's odd behavior throughout the day, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay, Ludwig. I'm certain your friend will be just fine, so try not to worry so much."

Ludwig gave her an appreciative smile. _"Your friend?" Does she know?_


	19. Koopa Culture of Revelry & Debauchery

**A/N: Biggest chapter ever! Woo! Just a note, I don't know how to write action, really I don't. I get tired from reading too much of it as well, so I try to keep it to a minimum. In this chapter, I also fulfill a character request made by Razzi an awfully long time ago; this is what I was writing when the request was made. For those of you who enjoy history, the festival is loosely based upon Saturnalia, an ancient Greco-Roman holiday where everything is to be foolish and contrary in a very Bacchic way (Wiki it already; I write to educate!) Thanks for all the great reviews. Happy Reading!

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**

At last, the sun hung low in the sky and the time had arrived for the last competitive event of the day: the fire-breathing contest. Each Koopa would have thirty seconds to produce a flame judged on size, heat, and style. Bowser paced a shaded dugout area as he waited for his turn. He was unpleasantly surprised at how difficult these competitions had been for him. Determined to make up lost ground in the tournament, he focused on his son who had placed so much faith in him, and suddenly realized all that he had on the line. He had expected to sweep the competition and impress Peach and his children.

Bowser eyed Konas Koopinson, the first competitor; he stood with a smirk on his face. _This guy's a real jerk; I don't want him anywhere near Wendy. _The teen idol raised his face to the sky and blew a dull cherry red flame in the shape of a large circle above him, allowing the cinders to fall around him. Bowser scoffed; a dull red flame like that was tantamount to impotence in his mind. Of course, he had no idea how Peach, a human without much expertise in the matter, would judge a proper flame.

Koolani Kai was up next. He watched her wink at Roy before filling her lungs with oxygen and releasing a clear orange flame in a spherical shape. _Good heat, good shape, but a little on the small size. _He really hoped that Kai would spend some time talking with Roy. _Would be good for him._

Koolani deftly sidestepped to avoid Bowser as he marched up to present his skills. He could feel Peach's eyes on him as he took his position. He inhaled a great deal of air, absorbing and concentrating as much oxygen as he possibly could. He concentrated briefly and closed his eyes, allowing his fire glands time to activate. At last, he exhaled a luminous blast of brilliant white and blue fire in the shape of a miniature supernova. He barely heard the pleased crowd going wild or the announcer's excitement. He opened his eyes and saw his youngest son bouncing up and down in joyful pride. Even the rest of his children looked sufficiently impressed. At last, his sense returned to him and he went to rest in the shade.

Koopin threw back the long sleeves of his black robe as he prepared to demonstrate his ability. Bowser stared at the student with passing interest. Bowser did not normally doubt Ludwig's judgment, but as he looked at the sling on the somewhat small Magikoopa's arm, he was beginning to wonder what his eldest had been thinking.

Lawrence certainly did not have the strongest fire glands in the world, but he did have the ability to use his magic to distill the air for oxygen, and then to control the shape of his flame. He managed to expel six yellow strings of fire, which curled into spirals and sparkled like ornate fireworks. The elderly Magikoopas looked pleased with the youth's fine display of magical prowess. With practice, he could have a bright future ahead of him.

Lastly was Tuntankooopa, who shuffled nervously to the middle of the arena. Unbeknownst to Morton and the rest of the crowd, Tutankoopa did not have functioning fire glands. He prayed to the Stars that, somehow, he might overcome this obstacle by some miracle. He stepped to the platform, made a big spectacle of inflating his lungs, waited, and then—exhaled. The crowd moaned and gasped as the Koopa released nothing but air for six straight seconds until, at the very last moment when Tutankoopa was shaking with the strain of expelling the last bit of air from his lungs; a tiny spark flew from his throat. "Ah hah!" he yelled triumphantly. Unfortunately for Morton and Tutankoopa, neither the judges nor the audience were half so pleased at the spark as Tutankoopa was. As the Koopatrols led the eliminated Koopa away, he smiled foolishly, for today he had breathed his mightiest flame yet.

"The judges' scores are in folks, the unanimous winner is King Bowser Koopa!" The crowd roared and cheered.

Ludwig, the twins, Roy, Wendy, and Larry all stood suddenly. "Excuse us, Mama Peach, we have to go. It's almost time for dinner and we're in charge of the show." Iggy said.

"Show?"

"I am certain Junior would be more than pleased to enumerate the details of the event in our absence. Forgive us," Ludwig said, hurriedly.

"Well, I suppose it's just the three of us now" Peach said, gesturing to Junior and the spot where Morton was previously sitting. It seemed that Morton had gone elsewhere to pout about Tuntankoopa's lack of ability. "Well, I guess it's just you and me, Junior."

"Your Highness, you have half an hour of free time to roam about before you are expected back in the Coliseum for the performance," Kammy said. "Please make sure you know how to get back."

"Geez Grandma, give us a break, I'll make sure we get back in time for the show, I know the way."

_Grandma? Why I never! It looks like Bowser Jr. will grow up to be just as rude as his irritating siblings. _Before Kammy could open her mouth to reprimand Junior, he had already scurried off, pulling Peach along by her wrist.

Kamek chuckled heartily. "Well, would you care for a grape, _Grandma?"_

Kammy fixed him with a defeated glare and plucked a plump, tasty grape from his hands.

* * *

Outside the coliseum, the mood was bright and raucous. All manner of citizens had cropped up under the exotic tents. Junior was pleased to be leading his Mama about as she marveled at the arcane customs of the Darklandians. Everywhere she looked, people were engaging in acts of tomfoolery and boisterous drunkenness. A Koopa jester came by to tell the young prince a bawdy joke, which made Peach blush. As consolation for "offending the ears of a pure-hearted maiden," he handed her a lustrous glass pendent of inconsequential value.

"Hey, no fair, you got a souvenir!" Junior shouted above the din.

Peach smiled and slipped the pendent over his head. "Now you've got a souvenir."

"Ho, young Lord and Lady, would you care to spin the wheel and win a prize?"

"Yes, yes, let's do it Mama Peach! I wanna win a prize!"

Peach graciously handed two golden coins to the Parakoopa at the wheel. "Mushroom coins? Hah, of course, Mushroom coins! My Lady, you catch on to things very quickly, don't you?" Peach shrugged her shoulders at Junior who shrugged back in return. She let Junior give the wheel a mighty spin. It clicked many times before stopping on a green space, which said "WINNER".

"Yay, congratulations My Lord, you win nothing!"

"What?" Junior yelled, "When you win, you're supposed to get something!"

"I did get something, I got your coins! In this game, when you win, it means you don't have to give me anything, but when you lose, you have to give me more coins!"

Just as Junior was about to open his mouth to argue with the tricky Parakoopa, Bowser came up behind the two royals and swept Peach into his arms. "Guahahaha, no use trying to escape Princess, I, King Bowser, have got you now!"

Peach shrunk away as he leaned in for a big kiss when Junior bit him in the leg, squeezing hard with his teeth.

"Ow, what in the—"

"You're not my dad!" Junior yelled as the Bowser shrunk down in the shape of a Duplighost. "You better leave my Mama alone, Doopliss; or else I'll tell my real dad what happened."

Peach straightened her _chiton_ and glared at Doopliss. "Hey, slick, just tryin' to have a little fun there. No need to tell your pop anything!"

"Tell me what?" A gruff voice boomed as the real Bowser came into sight. "Ugh, it's you. Seen your mistress lately, Worm?" Bowser looked at the Duplighost with extreme disdain; after all, Doopliss had aided those two shadow hags and their queen by putting Peach in harm's way. Bowser had heard rumors that it had taken months for the princess to sleep normally after the awful witch possessed her. "How dare you show your face here, after all you've done?"

"Hang on there, Slick. That was all in the past, I'm just a regular guy now, pullin' pranks, just like I used to do. I don't talk to those shadow sirens no more, I was just a lonely guy, but those broads were scary!"

"King Dad, he was pretending to be you so he could give Mama Peach a kiss!"

"He did what?!"

"Hey guy, it was a compliment, I thought it would work!"

Bowser pressed his thumb and forefingers against the bridge of his nose and scrunched his eyes shut. He uttered in a very low growl, "Doopliss, you have exactly ten seconds to get out of my sight before I have you locked in the dungeons for the rest of your pathetic life. If you ever bother Princess Peach again, I will personally end your game and send you to the Underwhere. Do I make myself clear?"

"Uh huh, crystal. Later Slick!" Doopliss called as he ran as fast as he could away from the enraged king.

"Yeah, King Dad, you're the greatest!"

Bowser turned to Peach apologetically, "We should have had more guards to keep a closer eye on you."

"No, actually, I'm glad you didn't; it's nice to be able to roam freely every once in a while. Besides," she ruffled Junior's hair, "nobody is hurt, and I think that Junior and I had the situation under decent control."

Junior folded his arms across his chest to show off his small, developing biceps.

"Well, regardless, we should get back inside before the show starts. I won the fire breathing contest so I get to eat with you," he said, unable to contain the pride in his voice.

* * *

Inside the coliseum, the great feast had begun and every Darklandian had helped themselves to the various buffets. Bowser glanced down at Peach's plate, overflowing with greens, fruits, and brown rice. "Uh, Peach, you missed the steak, or did you already eat it all? Do you want someone to bring you some more? Actually, you can have mine, I'll wait."

"Oh, um, no thank you. Actually, I don't eat meat."

Bowser looked like he had just sat on a needle. "What? Why not?"

"Well, almost everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom is a vegetarian so it's not too hard to do, and I suppose I would just feel bad for eating an animal."

"Peach, animals want to be eaten! I mean, if they didn't, then they should have thought of that before they decided to be so tasty."

Peach smiled and rolled her eyes at Bowser's ridiculous logic.

"Uh," Bowser started, looking at his own meat-filled plate, "it's not gonna make you sad when I eat this, right?"

"Of course not, please, enjoy yourself."

The royals continued eating until blue-hued spotlights shone down on the sandy arena and the orchestra, led by Ludwig, began to tune up.

"The show is starting!" Junior exclaimed, wiping his claws before climbing into Peach's lap.

The twins, who were in charge of the production, sat in the dugout area with radio headsets working as stage managers. As the orchestra began to play a mystical, esoteric melody, Wendy stepped into the arena in all of her fabulously jeweled garb. She danced slowly, with her arms majestically outstretched in various poses.

"Larry says I'm supposed to tell you what's going on," Junior whispered in Peach's ear. "Wendy is supposed to be Ohime, the ancient Koopa spirit of wisdom. She protects and teaches all the girls in the kingdom."

Wendy touched her long feathered fingertips to her mouth in a graceful gesture of blessing to the young Goomba and Koopa girls who now surrounded her. The girls danced in perfect formation as the orchestra changed its tune and a dark, spiked shadow appeared to the side of the stage.

"Roy is Kuppa, spirit of power. He looks really mean, but he's in charge of all the boys in the kingdom. The royal Koopas are supposed to be the great great great times a million grandkids of Kuppa."

Kuppa Roy marched, with a small army of Koopatrols behind him, towards the girls, who scampered away and hid behind Ohime Wendy. Kuppa extended his hand out to the painted goddess who promptly refused it. One by one, each flowered girl behind her danced away with a spiked Koopatrol in ancient armor, ostensibly in love. Finally, when all the flowered girls and spiked soldiers had exited the arena, Kuppa once again extended his hand to the beautiful Ohime. Angered by her refusal, the two performed a dance in which the impatient Kuppa Roy swept Ohime Wendy away. There was silence until a small light and a small tune began to play. Larry marched out into the arena wearing furry ears and a tail.

"Larry's being Tanooki, the spirit of being annoying."

Bowser cleared his throat and whispered, "No, he's supposed to be the spirit of courage, even if he is obviously annoying."

Tanooki Larry did a few hops along with the strange orchestra music before he noticed the plight of Ohime. He rushed to her side and attempted to run away with her. However, before long, Kuppa Roy noticed and initiated a dance symbolic of battle. Tanooki's courage was no match for the raw strength of Kuppa's power. Before Kuppa was to deal the finishing blow to Tanooki, Ohime intervened, once again spreading her arms majestically. With a palm facing Tanooki, she rejected his offer of help and decided to stay by Kuppa's side. The audience roared with applause as the three Koopalings bowed and exited the arena.

Peach looked down, deep in thought, "Junior…why does that story end the way it does?"

Junior looked at her with a goofy expression on his face. "Because that's the way it goes! That's how Kammy and all the other old folks tell it, and that's how their grandmas and grandpas told it."

"No, I mean, why would Ohime reject Tanooki's help? Furthermore, why on earth would she stay with Kuppa?"

Junior thought hard for a moment, it was obviously something that had never crossed his mind. Kamek, who had overheard the question, decided to interject. "It was a matter of respect, Princess. In Koopa culture, it is a matter of great disrespect to offer certain assistance to a person if they have not asked you to do so. Tanooki displayed arrogance and pride in assuming the honorable Ohime and Kuppa could not resolve matters in their own time. For that, the punishment should have been death. However, Ohime, in her wisdom, sought to reduce suffering, so she offered her own life in place of Tanooki's, and vowed to stay by Kuppa's side for eternity."

Peach smiled weakly, her culture would never interpret such a story in that manner. "Thank you Kamek, your explanation was very enlightening."

* * *

Lawrence looked dejectedly at his host, who was staring at him in silence. A ways away from the revelry outside, the two Koopas had found a semi-private tent to discuss "tactical plans" for tomorrow's competition. The only other company in the tent was a lone Koopatrol, who was busy polishing his armor. Lawrence's tongue felt swollen inside his mouth, he had so many questions and so much to say, but all he could do was look down at his feet and mumble apologies. He had no idea why Ludwig would choose him so spontaneously, but he hoped that the prince had not expected to win.

Ludwig sat, paralyzed with indecision. He watched his beloved mumble and stutter while looking down at his feet. Ludwig felt he should be the one to apologize; the poor boy was obviously miserable here. Ludwig wanted to offer some comfort, but was unsure of how he should go about doing such a thing. Instead, he sat in silence, listening to the voice of his love in the dim candlelight.

"I-I must apologize…I feel I have disappointed you…I hope you'll forgive—"

"There is naught for which I must exonerate you," Ludwig said at last, a little harsher than he had intended. Softer, he said, "I am—quite exultant over your accomplishments thus far. Failure in the tournament is no great source of trepidation for me. Verily, I did not anticipate any Koopa to vanquish my father in any evaluation of raw aptitude."

Lawrence looked at him briefly before bursting out, "Then why would you choose someone you scarcely knew?"

Ludwig looked down, his eyes betraying everything he had tried so hard to keep secret. He gave an uncharacteristic smirk accompanied by a shrug. "Why not?"

* * *

"Roy, you did a great job on stage tonight. I think the ancestors would be proud of you."

"Uh, thanks," he replied. For such a tough looking Koopa, she sure was sentimental. "So what was it cha wanted tah tell me?"

"Well, I've been talking with your dad…" Koolani started.

"You know him from somewhere, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"I knew it; I could tell."

"Listen up now Roy. This might be a shock but…I'm your mom, biologically that is."

Roy frowned in shock. "Whoa whoa whoa, wait just a minute here. You mean tah tell me you and King Dad…" A mixed look of disgust and morbid curiosity covered his face.

Kai fixed him with a look, "Not like that. Don't be dumb. You know, just in the regular way, my genetics created your body."

Roy looked at her with shock, "No, no way…this is…so awesome! Does this mean I can get tickets to tha Glitz Pit tah see ya fight, _Mom_ ?"

"Only if you never call me 'Mom' again, ya little punk," she replied happily as she grabbed her "son" for a noogie. She was so glad he was happy about it and though she did not consider herself fully his "mother", she was proud to see a product of her genetics turn out to be so powerful and successful.

* * *

Wendy fumed in disbelief as she stomped through the crowds of revelers. _That jerk! I go through all the trouble to invite him, sponsor him as my knight and what does he say to me? I don't have the "raw talent" to be in one of his movies? My looks aren't of "high enough caliber" to be "leading lady material". Nobody talks to a royal Koopa like that! Oooh, I'm so mad!_

Wendy sat depressed on a stone step watching everybody else have fun. She thought that, after her flawless performance this evening, Koopinson would jump to costar with a beautiful royal such as herself. "Pompous, stuck-up prick," she muttered under her breath.

Before long, she had settled into her usual habit of people watching. _Oh Stars, what in the worlds is she wearing? Um, hello, Mr. Goomba? The Beanbean Kingdom called; Prince Peasley wants his ridiculous haircut back. Ugh, look at that makeup job; she looks like a drag queen! Also, those ratty old extensions aren't fooling anyone, sister. _

Somewhere amidst the crowd, while coveting a purse she wanted, Wendy managed to spot Lawrence, who was all aglow, a hand pressed to a spot on his cheek. She admired his dark robes and hair and decided to follow him as he walked straight into his tent.

"Hello. Lawrence is it?"

Lawrence spun around in surprise at the female voice behind him, in his reverie; he had not noticed anyone had followed him. He was shocked to find Wendy so close to him in his own tent. "P-Princess Wendy. How may I serve you?"

Wendy bit her lip to hold back a few licentious words on how he could serve her. Instead, she sat down on his bed with her best "innocent seductress" face she could muster. "Oh, I just wanted to meet you, you know, get to know you…" she trailed off and flashed her mischievous eyes at his.

Instantly uncomfortable, Lawrence took a step backwards. "Oh um, yes, I—well, actually, I think I must be going. Quite regrettable, really. Some other time, perhaps?"

"You don't have to go anywhere, so sit down and stop being so shy," she demanded. "You're pretty cute, for one of Ludwig's dumb friends. Actually, I didn't even know he had friends. You're a smart boy; do I need to spell this out for you any clearer?" she said stuffing her face uncomfortably close to his.

"N-no!" In a panic, Lawrence pushed her away and she fell to the ground. "I—I'm terribly sorry Your Highness! I'm…I'm afraid I'm already in love with…someone else!" He stammered profusely as he ran out of the tent as fast as he could.

Covered in dirt with a small rip to her dress, Wendy fumed more furiously than before. _Rejected twice in one night! This is just wrong! _Wendy gathered herself up with whatever dignity she had left and smirked as she thought of a perfect revenge. _We'll just see what Daddykins thinks about all of this!

* * *

_

Peach stared at the enormous bonfire before her and smiled. In the distance, elderly Koopas were telling youngsters mythical legends about days of yore. Around the bonfire, some Darklandians had started playing a tribal drumbeat. Bowser sat next to Peach in a dreamy content. He had been a little disappointed that he did not get to spend as much time with her as he would have liked, but all of those feelings seemed to melt away when he was actually next to her.

"So, how are you enjoying the festivities, Peach?"

"This is a lot of fun, thank you very much for inviting me. I'm actually a little sad it'll all be over tomorrow."

_She wishes she could stay? _"Hey, don't be sad, there's still plenty of time left before they crown me the winner tomorrow." Bowser wanted to tell her that she could stay for as long as she liked, but opted just to listen to the sounds of the beating drums and shouts of the Darklandians around the bonfire.

"What happens if you win? Do you get a trophy or a prize?"

"Kinda. When I win, Junior and I are both gonna get a wish. If it's reasonable, everyone in the Kingdom has to go out of their way to grant it."

Peach turned her illuminated face towards his, and casually looked him in the eyes. "So _if _you win, what do you think you'll wish for?"

He looked back at her playfully, "That's top secret. If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes; "A nice friend doesn't keep secrets from his or her friends."

"Alright, fine, I'll tell you my secret if you tell me one of yours."

"Hmm, deal." Peach thought hard about which secret she would want to tell Bowser. "Well, once when I was very young, we had an audience with the Yoshis on Lava Lava Island and they decided to take us on a tour of the island. While I was riding one of the Yoshis, I had…an accident. The Yoshis were very kind about it, but still, it was a very embarrassing fiasco."

"Aww, Peach, gross!" Bowser teased, "Nah, that's nothin'. When I was little, I used to put all kinds of nasty stuff in Kamek's hat and shoes when I didn't get my way. Trust me when I tell you that a little pee was the least of his worries."

Peach scrunched her nose in disgust. _Poor Kamek. _"Alright, I told you my secret, now you have to tell me what you would wish for."

Bowser smirked at her, "Alright then, _when_ I win, I will wish for whatever I want because I'm the king and everybody has to do what I say anyhow. _Ha!_"

Peach widened her eyes and opened her mouth in disbelief, "No, that doesn't count; you have to tell me your wish specifically. Tell me your wish, right now, Bowser!"

"Okay, my wish right now is that you will come and dance with me," he said, shaking his tail to the beat of the drum.

"Um, I don't think that's too likely," she said, observing the wild and raucous dance around the blazing pit of fire.

"Hey, if I know anything about Mushroomie etiquette, I know it's bad manners to refuse an offer to dance." Peach rolled her eyes; she knew he was right, but in the Darklands, it just did not seem like the usual rules should apply. "Don't make me tell Toadsworth on you," he taunted, clasping her shoulders and swaying her back and forth with the beat.

"Alright fine, how is it that I'm supposed to dance?"

"Pssh, however you want! Jump around, make some noise, clap your hands, and run around the bonfire! This is the Darklands, we don't waltz, tango, or cha-cha in my kingdom." Bowser was feeling like a smooth operator; she was going to dance with him! He watched in amusement as she joined the crowd hesitantly, first hopping on one foot three times, and then the other, while clapping her hands.

"Like this?"

Bowser shook his head, "No, like this!" Peach let out a shrill scream as he swept her up and started to run and jump around the bonfire with her in his arms. The Darklandian citizens let out an identical scream and started laughing and dancing faster than before. The metal clips in her hair jingled frantically as he whirled, turned, and stomped his way around the mighty circle. Peach clung to the edges of his shell, her face firmly planted against his firm carapace. She felt a little woozy from a combination of the whirls, her exhilaration, his rich smoky scent, and perhaps something else as well.

When he finally set her down, she smiled dazedly, laughed, and said, "I think I understand now." She pulled out all of the pins holding her now messy bun and her hair tumbled in curls down to her waist, where she shook it out like a wild lion. She gave a loud howl, and flung herself around the bonfire, making merry with all she came across.

Bowser watched and silently thanked the Stars for giving him a chance.

* * *

Mario tapped his fingers on the table as he waited for Pauline to finish up in the powder room. So far, the evening had gone very well. Pauline had been telling him about her latest show, and about working with Madame Flurrie. It seemed the two stage divas had somewhat of a personality conflict, so Mario had tactfully decided against talking to Pauline about his adventures in Rougeport with the wind spirit.

At last, Pauline reappeared at the table and took a sip of the delightful vintage before her. Her eyes shone with mirth as she offered Mario a bit of her tiramisu and even fed him the bite off her own spoon. Mario was perfectly entranced.

Later that night, he thought about the best way to break it to Mama that he was not seeing the princess. _If she knew I still had a girlfriend, maybe she wouldn't be so upset. _He knew he would be better for the truth to come out sooner than later, but he had far too much pride to ask Luigi or anybody else for any help.

He placed those thoughts out of his mind and resumed thinking about Pauline, tenderly caressing her bare back. As he drifted off to sleep, he never gave another single thought to the Mushroom Princess in pink.

* * *

_Father seems to be in an amiable mood, indeed, as am I! _Ludwig felt as if he were dancing on air. His soul had never contained so much inspiration in all his life; it was almost too much for him to handle. His hand began to cramp as he scribbled furiously at his musical journal, filling it with compositions that were incredibly arioso with hurried beats, yet intended to be played with a passionate sweetness. The former Ludwig would have looked at these compositions and instantly scoffed at them as pop garbage, but now, he could not care less. He realized as he jumped from one composition to the next, that he would not be able to compose properly in such a state.

For once, he actually felt reasonably sociable. He turned his attentions to his father, who was obviously in a similar state. They engaged in extended banter about the weather and other variously unimportant things.

The mood had been light and congenial until Wendy burst into the tent with tears in her eyes. She pointed a finger at Ludwig accusingly, "Your filthy knight! Oh Daddykins," she sobbed, "Ludwig's stupid friend Lawrence…oh, it was so terrible!"

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Bowser growled, concerned for his little princess' safety.

"I-I don't know!" she howled. "Like, he said he had something in his tent that he wanted to show me. Then when I, like, went inside, he tried to _touch_ me! When I said no, he pushed me into the dirt and my dress ripped, see?" Wendy held up the tattered spot on her silken wrap dress. "Oh Daddy, I ran away as fast as I could, I don't know where he went."

Ludwig recoiled in horror. _No, this is utterly unfeasible. How? Why? Wendy is so many years our junior and furthermore, she most perceptibly female! _Ludwig once again grew sick with worry as he heard his father outline a plan to ensure "justice" befell his raven-haired love and that the royal family would save face for the Games. He quietly slid out his father's tent and into his own. Once in bed, like many a jealous lover before him, he let his mind slip into hateful envy and suspicion.


	20. The Mysterious Power of True Love

**A/N: Well, I can't believe it. I've almost caught up with myself! I have three more chapters in reserve before I'm fully caught up! The good news is that there will be no lost data due to hard drive failure, the bad news is that with the advent of school starting and lack of reserve chapters, updates will be a little slower than what you all have been used to seeing. Thanks so much for all the reviews, they're super encouraging and often are rich with great ideas. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

**

The citizens of the Darklands slowly crept out of their tents to wash up and eat breakfast as the sun rose the next morning. Bowser hardly spoke or gave a glance to anyone as the competitors ambled their way back to the coliseum's arena for the second day of action.

Bowser let a low growl rumble in his throat as he caught sight of the offending Magikoopa, pacing about in his usual nervous agitation. He would give that creep plenty of reasons to be nervous.

All the competitors exited their dugout as Raphael announced the first competition of the day: a beauty contest. Lawrence smiled shyly at Ludwig above him, while avoiding eye contact with the royal sister. However, Ludwig would not look at Lawrence; instead, he stared straight ahead into the distance, a stony expression covering his features. The cold reception confused Lawrence and shook his fragile courage. Then, for the first time, he felt the Koopa King eyeing him as if he were a particularly nasty roach that the king would very much like to squish.

_Did he change his mind about me? _The four remaining competitors took their poses as the judges began evaluations.

Meanwhile, Peach was wondering how she might objectively appraise a Koopa's attractiveness. The only Koopa with which she had spent any volume of time was Bowser, and thus he was the only model she had by which to judge reptilian standards of beauty. After a good fifteen minutes of various poses and procedures, the judges began to vote.

Kamek felt a bit odd voting on the physical attractiveness of a group of primarily male Koopas, but vowed to do his best to be fair. He looked over Konas; Kamek figured he was supposed to be conventionally attractive, but his airs and his smirks were off-putting and irritating, to say the least. Bowser, his own charge that he had raised over the years had grown into a handsome, strong Koopa. However, he could see the infatuating timidity and youthful charm of Lawrence, who reminded him very much of himself in his youth. Poor Ms. Kai; she was a mighty warrior Koopa, with the unfortunate side effects of battle scars and rippling muscles making her quite a frightening sight.

Kammy also quickly dismissed Kai, her putrid pink shell and thick, brawny neck just did not hold any appeal for the aged Magikoopa. To her, all others paled in comparison to the illustrious Konas. She hated his banal, mentally tedious movies, but as far as raw attractiveness was concerned, she would not mind if she were trapped on a deserted island with _him_.

Peach had mixed feelings. Toadsworth had always told her that if she did not have anything nice to say, she ought to say nothing at all. How could she, in good conscious, vote in a contest where the most unattractive party would be asked to leave? _I suppose I have no choice. _She reluctantly submitted her paper with her votes on it. She briefly glanced at Bowser. _And he had better not ask who I voted for.

* * *

_

Toadsworth talked and hummed happily to himself as he thumbed though the directory of the Silver Club, feather plume pen in hand. "Mmm, yes, the Puni elder, we must invite her. Puncilla? Is that the old girl's name? I must confess, I never knew!"

He proceeded to address envelopes to Koopa Koot, Mayor Dour, the Mayor of Shiver City, and many others until he stopped abruptly. "Why, that must be Mario's dear mother! I had no idea she was a member of the Silver Club; we very well must have her at the castle!"

Noticing he was feeling peckish, he picked up a small brown telephone on his desk and connected to the kitchen. "Ahem, yes, hello. This is Toadsworth, yes, I am in my office and require a bit of sustenance, eh? Yes yes, whatever you've got leftover from today's lunch will be just fine. Ten minutes? Delightful! Oh and do bring up some of those little watermelon candies, I'm afraid I've grown quite fond of them."

Koolani walked away, not saddened in any way by her loss in the beauty contest. Her job was to be strong; some other Koopas could spend their time worrying about what they looked like. In her estimation, the games had been a complete success. She had made it to the final four, and had gotten to meet her biological son, who was currently pouting and shouting at nobody in particular. "'Ey, that's my mom! She's a beautiful lady!"

For the next event, Raphael passed Peach and the other judges small slips of paper and asked them to each give one example of an unusual building material. The oversized raven then announced the start of the penultimate contest, a contest of engineering genius. Bowser smirked as he received his slip of paper from the raven. He had built so many castles over the years; he could practically build one in his sleep. A few committed troops rushed to his side to be his dedicated labor force for the hour he had in which to start and complete his construction.

Lawrence felt reassured, finally something he was comfortable with and reasonably good at doing. He would not even have to build the structure with his own hands; just lead a troop to carry out some of his architectural designs. He gingerly unfolded his small slip of white paper on which Kamek had written the word "paper" in tidy blue ink. Suddenly, an immeasurable mountain of paper appeared next to the group of Koopas. Similarly, a stack of chocolate blocks appeared next to Bowser while an enormous heap of dung appeared next to Konas. The actor scoffed in incredulous disbelief. Nothing was worth this indignity! When the competition began, he immediately ordered his laborers to roll themselves in the filthy excrement of unknown origin before he fixed the entire audience with a murderous glare, threw up a lewd hand gesture, and marched out of the arena.

"We have a forfeit!" Raphael cawed, feeling nothing but the utmost sympathy for Konas' laborers, who were now helping each other out of the sticky sludge and cleaning themselves off.

Wendy stomped her feet and screamed in frustration. "That good for nothing jerk! This has been, like, the worst twenty-four hours of my life!" she whined, stomping off to console herself with sugary refreshments.

Bowser smiled maliciously as cleaning crews moved to clear the piles from the arena; now it was only the Magikoopa and him in the final event. Every year, the final event was always the same, now was his time for revenge.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare yourselves for the final event between His Majesty King Bowser Koopa and Lawrence Koopin! The final two competitors shall engage in the most ancient of Darklandian contests: an all-out hand-to-hand combat brawl!"

Lawrence's eyes widened; he was going to have to fight the King? He glanced over at Ludwig, whose face remained stony, his eyes closed, and his heart broken.

"Don't even think about giving up," Bowser growled menacingly. Peach covered her mouth with both hands. Bowser was so much bigger than Lawrence was; the Magikoopa was barely older than a child, and Bowser had already assumed a brutal air about him. She was not so sure she wanted to see this.

At last, an ancient gong announced the start of the fight and Bowser quickly advanced on Lawrence. "I'm going to enjoy this, you little rat." Lawrence took several steps backwards; he had no idea why the king was acting so hateful towards him.

"Don't act so confused!" he bellowed, aiming a deadly claw swipe at the boy's underbelly. Lawrence tried to produce a magic barrier to protect himself, but between the stressful situation and Bowser's relative strength, the barrier was easily shattered. The smell of blood awakened a primal rage in Bowser's heart. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about _last night_?"

Lawrence gasped in realization; someone must have seen him and Ludwig and reported! Bowser continued his advance, kicking and swiping with every strained sentence. "Trying to put your _filthy_ claws on _my_ kid?"

"I-I'm sorry…" he choked.

"You after a throne? After my crown? What were you thinking, you disgusting little worm?"

"No…please, I don't know, sir…" Lawrence cried weakly. The sight and smell of his own blood was making him squeamish and he could no longer manage to get off the dirty arena floor.

The blood was pounding in Bowser's ears, he did not hear Raphael announce him the winner, nor would he have cared if he had. This was much more personal. He continued his vicious attack as Lawrence coughed and groveled on the ground. "Well, I know what I think," he sneered, "I think you're a disgusting pervert and I think it's time for you to say goodnight."

Peach peeked out from behind her hands. She had not seen this side of Bowser before, and she hated it. Even Junior looked worried and frightened. Determined to do something, Princess Peach flew down the stairs of her balcony, into the arena towards Bowser and his victim. She arrived by their sides just as Bowser was about deliver a fiery doom with his molten breath. Fortified by Peach's inner magic and sheer emotional power, Lawrence's wand responded to the presence by creating a barrier powerful enough to knock Bowser back onto his tail.

"What is wrong with you?" she screeched at the stunned Koopa King. "The contest is over, you've won, why do you continue to harm him? Stop it!"

"Peach, this low filth tried to get his claws on Wendy last night! You want me to just let him get away with that?"

_Wendy!? _Lawrence gasped. _Oh no, Princess Wendy, the girl, the sister._ Everything made sense to him now; that is, he had as much clarity as could be expected from a young Magikoopa with near fatal wounds. He knew he had to exonerate himself somehow. _The sorceress…in pink. I must…she is my last… _Drifting in and out of consciousness, he raised his head and croaked "I-I n-n-never…"

By this time, Kamek and Kammy had already entered the arena to inspect the situation, while Peach had cried for the medical assistance of Kitty and Kamea. Kamek, upon hearing the story, looked sadly upon the unconscious boy and took Bowser aside to tell him of his mistake. Kamek carefully explained the emotional connection he felt when he was evaluating the competitors. The crowd was in an uproar as the Koopalings stepped into the arena to be closer to the action.

"Wait, if it wasn't Wendy—what are you saying Kamek?"

Ludwig had heard all he needed to hear; he rushed to Lawrence's side and cradled his head in his lap. Lawrence, who was now conscious due to the efforts of Kitty and Kamea, looked earnestly into Ludwig's eyes. "I would never betray…"

Ludwig looked down, slightly ashamed, "I…am aware."

Bowser looked over at his eldest son and the Magikoopa with a strange expression on his face. Peach placed her hand on his arm as both a supportive and restraining gesture. "Ugh, why? Does this mean that my kingdom is gonna have two kings or something?" he growled, ashamed of his overreaction.

Peach looked at Bowser with gentle eyes. "No Bowser, your kingdom will have only one king: your son. He'll be happy with whoever he chooses to love." Bowser huffed and Peach continued, "I hope you'll give them your support and blessing; I think after this trial by fire, they've earned it."

Bowser grumbled; kings did _not_ apologize. Still, he thought about how much he loved Peach and how his love might be considered non-traditional, Peach being a human and all. Eventually in a magnanimous gesture, he granted a full acquittal to the Magikoopa and during the awards ceremony, declared the contest a tie. "Because," he added enigmatically, "it turns out we were both fighting for the same thing."

On the podium, Raphael handed Junior the microphone first, it was time for him to make his wish. He really wanted to wish for Mama Peach to come live with him, but since Kammy had told him that was against the rules, he stated in a loud, clear voice, "I wish for a day off school so I can have a big picnic tea-party with Mama Peach! There has to be all of my favorite foods and nobody else is invited!"

He handed the microphone to his father, who thought for a moment. "Well, I want to be invited! That's my wish!"

Junior smiled, "Okay King Dad, nobody else though, especially not Morton or Larry!" The two siblings in question glared at their gloating little brother. Peach smiled and flushed; she was surprised that the two Koopas would give away their wish on something as trivial as a picnic with her. Moreover, she wondered how she might once again excuse herself from her royal duties to spend time with the Darklandian Royal Family.

Raphael then handed the microphone to Ludwig and Lawrence. The latter was looking much better now that he was cleaned up and on the road to recovery. It was clear from the mirthful glances they threw at one another that their wishes had already been fulfilled beyond their wildest expectations. However, Lawrence spoke into the microphone, "This is a great honor. I would like an edifice to be constructed in veneration of High-Priestess Peach." Ignoring Lawrence's mistaken address, the crowd went wild as the royals exited the arena and prepared to journey back to the castle.

Ludwig shook his head. "Princess Peach," he corrected as he walked arm in arm with his love.

"A princess? Truly? I cannot believe it," Lawrence shrugged his shoulders. "A pity, what a waste of talent."

Catching sight of his father chatting happily with Peach, Ludwig deftly sidled up to his side. He whispered in his father's ear the wish that he would not announce to the public at large. Bowser smirked a little. Ludwig was still a chip off the old block. He fixed his eyes on Wendy, who had been hiding away to escape blame. Thanks to her brother, that girl was going to be in for a very difficult week of punishment.

* * *

Peach clasped her hands together in delight as fireworks burst all around her. The view of her send-off ceremony from the Clown Car was breathtaking. Peach had decided that the pink and champagne colored fireworks were her favorites, and 'ooh'ed appropriately when three lit up the sky around her, crackling with metallic sparkles. As a nation of fire-breathers and magicians, the Darklandians had always taken pride in their advanced pyrotechnics, and this year Bowser had demanded the technicians spare no expense and make every effort to impress the princess.

The fireworks became increasingly distant as the Clown Car moved steadily away from the Darklands, toward the Mushroom Kingdom. The booming explosions absent, the duo traveled in relative silence until Peach looked down at her hands clasped in her lap and sighed.

"You alright?"

"Yes…I'm fine. It's just been a very busy weekend; it's a lot to process."

Bowser shifted in his seat, "You didn't have fun?"

Peach looked up, "No, no, of course I did. It's just so surreal to be going back to real life after having such an exciting and fun weekend. It already feels so far away, like a dream."

"Nobody's making you go back, you know. Just say the word and I could turn this baby around and you could stay at my castle for as long as you wanted!" Peach looked at him with a headshake and a playfully annoyed smile. "Sheesh, can't blame a guy for trying."

The continued to travel though silence until Peach, uncomfortable, finally spoke up, "You know, that was quite frightening back there…"

"The fireworks?"

"No…the arena, with you and that poor boy. It was like, you were so vicious, so unrelenting. It wasn't like you. It was really uncomfortable to see."

Bowser growled, "What do you mean it's not like me? I've always been vicious and unrelenting!" Peach gave him a beseeching stare and he sighed. She knew that he knew what she meant. "Look, I love my kids, hear me? I love 'em! When I thought that guy was trying to hurt my family, I just lost it. Nobody in the whole world will _ever _get away with that, and I would gladly crush anyone stupid enough to try, _without apology. _I've got a lot on my plate; I don't need any loser running around trying to make things difficult for me. Wendy's my only little girl; she's tough as nails, but she still needs protection. I guess I'm sorry you had to see me get like that, but, the way I see it, there's no permanent damage done, and anyone who was thinking about getting their claws on my kids can see what they're up against. I'd risk my life a million times over for the little brats; they're the best things I've got in this world."

The Clown Car was drawing nearer to the Mushroom Castle. "I see," Peach said quietly, touched by Bowser's devotion to his children. "I guess I can understand why you reacted the way you did. Who knows, I might have done the same thing."

At least, the Clown Car pulled up to Peach's sweeping balcony, and the princess thanked the Koopa King for his hospitality and jumped onto her balcony. Bowser was stricken by the now familiar urge to say or do one last romantic gesture. "Peach," he called after her. "I'd definitely do the same for you."

Peach spun around. "Do what?" she called back.

"If anyone ever hurt you or made you sad, I'd totally kick their ass without a second thought."

Peach smiled awkwardly. "That's…that's nice. Thank you." _What am I supposed to say to that? _Recovering slightly as he piloted away, she called to him one last time, "Bowser!"

"What's up?"

"I just remembered; there's this guy who comes around every once in a while. He's pretty tall, he drives a floating copter thing, and he's got big horns and a spiky shell. He laughs like 'bwa ha ha ha' and sometimes he tries to take me away from my castle!"

Bowser's face fell at Peach's rendition of his laughter. He did not sound anything remotely like that! Is that really what she thought he sounded like?

"Anyhow, if you run into that guy, could you give him a stern talk? I think-- I think he's a nice guy and would listen to someone like you."

Bowser smiled, "I'll keep my eye out for that jerk, and when I see him, I'll beat him up for not coming around often enough. Sweet dreams, Princess."

Peach rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Goodnight…Bowser."


	21. Comply, Complain, and Explain

**A/N: Gosh...school is hard guys. I've been having a lot of trouble finding time to update because things are miserably busy. All of the large accounting firms are running their huge recruitment weeks, and since I really really need an internship, things have been nuts. Forgive me for being so slow! Other than that, I really like this chapter, and I hope you will too! Enjoy! (By the way, since it's been so long since I've said it: I don't own Nintendo or it's characters, or much of anything else. I write for fun, not for profit, that's why I need a job so badly.)

* * *

**

Toadsworth hummed a jaunty tune to himself as he strolled about the pristine castle gardens where servants were making final preparations before the arrival of his guests. King Toadstool had generously granted his most trusted adviser use of the gardens for the entire day so that he might entertain the members of the Silver Club, an association for persons retirement age and older. He plucked a hors d'oeuvre from a silver tray carried by a busy Toad and noticed a flash of yellow and green from behind a bush.

"Ahem! Miss Daisy and Master Luigi, King Granbi and I can see what you two are doing in those bushes and I must say I do not approve!"

The two distracted spies scampered off to find some place more private while Toadsworth shook his head. _The nerve of those kids! Miss Daisy has never had much common sense, but I would expect better from Master Luigi; why, his mother is due to arrive at any moment!_

As anticipated, the elderly visitors began to arrive forty-five minutes early, ready to pontificate about their various aches and pains, the decaying moral fiber of the youth, and the corrupt politics of countries that they could not locate on a map, if anyone cared to ask them to do so. Toadsworth graciously greeted and escorted each of his guests out to the courtyard, where the Mushroom retainers had set up a croquet course as the afternoon's entertainment.

Mayor Dour, as the chairperson of the Silver Club, arrived first, followed by Puncilla, the Puni Elder, who declined to play croquet because of her bad back. Also among the guests was the Old Fisher Noki, whom the Yoshi Village Elder initially mistook for a large and tasty berry. Former Mayor Kroop and his brother, Koopa Koot also joined the game, along with Mama Mario, Old Man Watchitt, and Toadsworth himself.

"Mighty fine day we're having, isn't it?" said the Noki, aiming his light blue ball through the nearest wicket.

"The sun is a tad bright for my tastes," remarked Dour. "You there, Miss Toad, could you see your way to bringing some shade over here? We're just not as young as we used to be, and the sun is so glaring today. We're liable to get sunstroke!"

The Yoshi elder chimed in, "Back when I was a small Yoshi, I got the worst case of sunstroke when I was playing hide-and-seek in the jungle and I got stuck in a tree. I was there for two days!"

"That's nothing!" The Puni Elder replied. "Once, some uncouth aliens from the moon invaded the Great Tree and locked us in cages. I can't even remember how long we were in there. We had nothing to eat but a dwindling supply of dried shrooms. If it hadn't been for dear old Marty-O coming to rescue us, we surely would have starved to death! Not to mention, being in those damp cells with my arthritis…"

"Eh? Marty-O you say? Never heard of him," said Mayor Kroop. "I once knew a fine young gentleman by the name of Murphy. If you can believe, he slew a dragon and rescued our current mayor's father. What a stand up guy!"

"Ahem," Toadsworth turned to Mama Mario. "How is that son of yours doing these days?"

"Well I should say you might know better than I do. Hasn't he been around the castle lately?"

"Admittedly, I cannot say he has. I thought perhaps he might be busy with work or other such things."

"Oh! Of course, that would make sense! He is surely working hard to save up money for his bright new future! That's my boy, always very sensible; he gets it from my side of the family, you know."

"Eh? What's this about a bright new future? I hope that you do not intend to tell me that our dear hero will be taken from us. I simply do not know what we would do without the aid of your son in our times of need!"

"Oh, heavens no," Mama Mario quickly covered her mouth, suddenly realizing that she had said too much. She took Toadsworth aside, her desire to share her excitement overriding her ability to keep her son's secret. "I am so surprised that you haven't heard anything of it yet. I thought, as the princess' guardian, he would ask for your blessing first. Believe you me, I taught him that much!"

"Excuse me madam, but I haven't the foggiest clue of what you're getting at. What on earth would Mario ask my blessing about?" asked Toadsworth needlessly, disbelieving his own ears.

"Why, isn't it obvious? My son and your dear princess are quite obviously in love! During his last visit, my Mario just couldn't wait to tell Papa and I that he intends to ask for the princess' hand in marriage!"

"Why…this is wonderful news!" Toadsworth exclaimed.

"Yes, I know, and I am so glad to hear you say it. But, not a word can be breathed to the princess, or anyone else for that matter. My sweet boy would be terribly upset if anything ruined his surprise in any way. He's awfully sensitive like that; he gets it from his father."

"Yes, of course, my dear. I understand completely!"

* * *

Peach casually strolled throughout the kitchen, where the cooks were too busy preparing lunch for the elderly guests to notice her swiping sweets and drinks to put in the small basket she carried with her.

She internally praised herself for her excellent planning. She knew it would be rather suspicious to travel to the Darklands again in such a short time, but she also wanted to honor her promise to Junior and picnic with him. Instead of finding a flimsy excuse to return to the Darklands, she chose to meet Junior and his father in a remote corner of her expansive gardens, somewhere far away from the guests and their game of croquet.

She had been quite worried when Daisy arrived, unannounced, at the Mushroom Castle two days prior; however, she had slyly managed to convince her cousin to embark on an all-day boating trip with her favorite green-clad plumber, and now nobody stood in her way of meeting the royal Koopas in the garden.

As she left the kitchen, she paused for a moment to re-fluff her hair before walking outside. She was careful to travel perpendicular to the croquet party, lest any elders decide to stop her and inevitably make her late with stories about doctor's appointments and high-achieving grandchildren. Worse still, Toadsworth might ask her where she was going with a basket full of food. She huffed, annoyed at the thought that she was not even fully permitted to travel of her own accord to where she would like on her own castle grounds. For Petey Pirana's sake, by the Mushroom Kingdom's legal standards, she had been an adult for years! She neared the darker, more forested section of her gardens. She had always loved the seclusion of the place. She caught a glimpse of father and son spreading a blue and white blanket. She waved cheerily to the duo.

"Mama Peach! You made it!" Junior gave her a big hug and grinned. "Look, I gotta loose fang!"

Peach smiled as Junior wiggled his upper-right fang in demonstration. "Wow, that is pretty loose, Junior. Do you think the Tooth Fairy will come for it?"

"Yeah, and when she does, I'm gonna catch her and put her in a cage!"

"Oh, that doesn't sound very nice, Junior. How will the Tooth Fairy get around to all the other kids?"

"Who cares? She's a weirdo who goes around stealing teeth for a living! Nobody steals from me without getting locked up; it's the law!"

Bowser chuckled at his little son's antics. "Well Munchkin, if you're done runnin' your yap, then maybe we can get down to some chow! I dunno about you but I'm starving!"

Peach sat down slowly, spreading her dress around her. "I brought some petits fours and fizzy drinks for us to share."

"Peta-whats?" Junior asked, saying aloud what Bowser was thinking.

"Petits fours are tiny cakes that look really pretty." She produced one out of her basket. "See?"

"Mm, cake's my favorite! I want one right now!"

"Hey runt, you know the rules, you gotta have some real food before you go wolfing down all of Mama Peach's cakes."

"No King Dad; you said this is my day and I can have whatever I want! Today, I want dessert first, other stuff afterwards!"

The Koopa King shrugged at Peach, "Whatever, I guess we'll have dessert first then."

Peach was surprised Bowser would give in to his youngest so easily. She tried to help by telling Junior that other foods would help him grow big and strong.

"Mama Peach, I'm not a baby, you know. Look at King Dad. That's my dad; of course I'm going to be big and strong, no matter what I eat! If I didn't, I'd have to be a—a juh-net-tic dee-fect. King Dad says that Koopa royalty never has any of those. He says nothing about us is ever any kind of mistake, so I don't even have to worry about it!"

Peach shrugged and passed some cakes to Junior then offered some to Bowser as well. Junior's speech about genetics reminded her of the video she had watched that night in her room at Bowser's castle. _Never any mistakes. It certainly seemed to be intentional, but why?_

Meanwhile, Bowser was hauling a massive load of food out of the Clown Car, concealed in the distant bushes, all of Junior's favorites. As requested, the Koopa King brought the desserts first. There was banana crème pie, mint chip ice cream, jelly filled mochi, and gummy bears. Peach leaned forward to swipe a little meringue off the top of the pie and place it on Junior's snout. The little Koopaling roared in surprise and summarily returned the favor as Peach shrieked in delight.

Of course, it could not have been a picnic tea party without tea. Bowser frowned as he fiddled with the various thermoses. _How do you open these dang things? _Peach approached from the side, a smear of meringue still on her right cheekbone. "Need some help?" she offered.

"Nope," he replied, having just solved the contraption. He carefully wiped the bit of meringue off Peach's cheek. "Looks like you might though. You 'kids' better not have started eating without me!" he roared, loud enough for Junior to hear. Junior's fork clattered to the plate and he ran over to the Clown Car to help unload the rest of the food.

Before long, the blanket was covered in delightfully mismatched plates, cups, forks, and saucers; as well as plates of steaming Koopa dumplings, pigs-in-a-blanket, fruit salad, golden fries, and strangely, asparagus, Junior's favorite vegetable.

"I want this one!" Peach exclaimed playfully, seizing a dainty daffodil-yellow, vertically striped porcelain cup with a red and white checkered saucer underneath.

"Aww, no fair. Fine, I want the blue one. King Dad, you get the one with the cat on it." Bowser frowned at the disgustingly cute kitten on the mug, which was staring back at him with pleading blue eyes.

"Here Mama Peach, you can have my favorite Axem Rangers plate."

"Thank you, Junior. That's very sweet of you."

"Hey," Bowser interjected. "I'm your dad you little traitor; why can't I have the Axem Rangers plate?"

"Because Mama Peach is my best friend and she's pretty. You're my second best friend, so you can have…this plate." Junior handed his father a plate that he had decorated himself at school. It had yellow suns, blue water, glitter, and some unidentifiable stick figures. Peach giggled as she saw Bowser piling fries onto his glittery art plate while holding the kitten mug full of bright pink watermelon iced tea. _He really, really loves his kids._

"Hey, I'm the king; I'm not second best at anything," Bowser retorted. "But I guess if I have to lose to anyone, it's alright if I lose to Mama Peach…sometimes."

"So Junior, how has school been going for you?" Peach asked politely.

"It's lotsa fun, most of the time. Sometimes it's hard, but most of the time it's really really easy. Sometimes I miss home, but only when the girls pick on me."

"Junior! You mean to tell me you let some dumb little girls pick on you?" asked Bowser, suddenly defensive of his little whelp.

"Well, sometimes they won't let me play house with them, and when they do, they always make me the baby brother and try to put me in a diaper," he replied dejectedly.

"Oh Junior, don't be sad. I'll bet at least one of them just has a crush on you and just thinks you're cute." Junior returned the comment by giving a disgusted face and blowing a raspberry.

"Why I never!" huffed Princess Peach. "Blowing a raspberry at a princess at a tea party? How rude! Somebody ought to teach you some manners, and I know just the person…" she trailed off pulling her hand from behind her back. Her thumb touched her other fingers in such a way that her hand resembled a pointed mouth. "Mr. Nipper Plant!" she squealed, "nipping" at Junior. The ticklish Koopaling screamed and ran away, the princess in hot pursuit. Bowser smiled gleefully as he popped another snack in his mouth and watched his beautiful princess chase his son around the grassy hills.

Peach was amazed at how fast Junior was able to run. However, her legs were longer than his were and she had almost caught up with him when her heeled shoe suddenly sunk into a pocket of muddy grass, instantly breaking the heel of the shoe. Peach fell, her face twisted into an expression of pain. Bowser and Junior quickly ran over to figure out what happened.

Tears welling in her eyes from pain, frustration, and embarrassment, Peach explained, "Ooh, my _stupid shoe _broke!"

"You okay?" asked Bowser, tenderly checking her foot, which was covered in mud.

"Yes, I think I'm fine, it's just…" She winced and stumbled into Bowser as she tried to get up. The pain shooting from her ankle caused more tears to flow to her eyes.

"Oh no you don't," the Koopa King replied. "You twisted your ankle real good there. There's no way I'm letting you walk on that thing." With that, Bowser picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

Peach let out an aggravated scream of exasperation. "No, put me down. I'm _fine_!" How was she going to explain to Toadsworth why her dress was caked in mud and her ankle was twisted?

"Not a chance."

"Well what do you expect to do? You can't just waltz into my castle and set me down."

"Why not?" he asked, knowing she was right. "Look, just don't worry for a little while, your awesome Koopa King will take care of stuff. We need to get you some kind of medical attention. If you come back to the Darklands with me, we can get you cleaned up and stuff, but you'll be gone for a while. Otherwise, we're going to need to think of something else. Your call, but you're NOT gonna be walking on that foot."

Peach wailed at the hopelessness of her situation, "I _can't _go to the Darklands with you, I have to be back by the time Daisy gets back. Just put me down and I'll be fine."

"No."

"Arrrgh, you're such a—a—stubborn bully!" Peach yelled, her tears now leaking down her face.

"Yep, and don't you forget it. Guess we're goin' on a tour of the Mushroom Castle. C'mon Junior, let's go."

Peach began to squirm, yell, and protest, but Bowser held her firmly. At last, Junior spoke up sadly, "Mama Peach? I'm sorry you got hurt when you were chasing me. Did I make you sad?"

When she heard how sincere and sad Junior was, Peach could not hold it in anymore, she started crying. "Oh Junior, sniff, don't be sad. I'm-- I'm just sad because, hic, this always ha-apens to me. I h-h-hate feeling so helpless! I can't ever run around the grass without..." Peach lapsed into more crying and lightly rested her head on Bowser's pectoral muscle, softly beating her fist on his carapace.

* * *

Meanwhile, two mischievous would-be spies entrenched in a steamy smooching session broke away from one another to watch wide-eyed as the royal trio approached.

"Oh my Stars, Weegie, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Daisy whispered urgently.

"W-What should we do? Bowser's kidnapping Peach right in front of our eyes!"

Luigi whipped out his phone, expecting Daisy to suggest he call Mario. He turned to see Daisy emerging from the bushes, armed with her own spiked heel in her hands.

"Mama mia! Daisy, what are you doing?" he screamed after her, also emerging from the bushes to rush the Koopa King and his dastardly son.

"Hiii-yah!" cried Daisy, as she brought her pointed shoe down upon Bowser's brawny arm in an act of righteous fury.

"What the ffff—" Bowser stopped himself mid explicative, remembering that his youngest son was mere feet away. Bowser turned to face the source of pain with an evil glare.

"Get away from my cousin you giant reptilian pervert!" screamed Daisy whilst continuing to bash Bowser in the arm with her high heel, a terrified looking Luigi in the background.

"Daisy? And Luigi?" he roared. "Everywhere I go, stupid moronic plumbers will follow!"

"Hey!" shouted Daisy. "This is between you and me, pal. You leave my boyfriend out of this! That's so typical of some stupid uncouth lizard just to go ahead and assume that women can't be held responsible or treated equally--"

"Listen you loudmouthed lamebrain, first of all, I'll speak to whoever I want, you and your poor choice in men aside. Secondly, if you don't stop hitting me with that ugly little shoe, I'm gonna sit on you, _capisce_? How's that for equal treatment? I. Will. Sit. On. You."

"Daisy, Bowser, please stop it!" Peach pleaded. Now, she was getting a headache as well.

Daisy and Bowser glared at one another while, a short distance away, Junior and Luigi were busy making obnoxious and rude faces at one another.

"Peachy, don't worry, Lulu and I are gonna rescue you!"

_Lulu?_ Bowser made a face. "Well guess what, you presumptuous little pug-faced princess, she doesn't NEED any saving, 'cause I'm on the job!"

"Bowser," Peach warned.

"Oh yeah, then you wanna explain why she's crying and asking to be put down?"

"Daisy…he's actually right; I'm okay, I just twisted my ankle and the pain got to me and I just wasn't thinking right and started crying."

Daisy looked stunned. Junior threw a triumphantly superior look at Luigi who had "lost" the ugly face making competition. "Well then, Peachy, uh...what exactly are you doing out here with _him_?"

Peach's face flushed as she looked for a reasonable excuse. She hoped Daisy and Luigi had not already come across the picnic gear that they had left behind. How long had they been watching? _Wait just a minute; they're supposed to be on a boat trip. What are they doing out here?_

"It's a long story, but aren't you and Luigi supposed to be out boating today? What were you doing all the way in this part of the gardens?"

Now it was Daisy's turn to avoid explanations. She did not want to admit that she and Luigi had been trying to spy on her and Mario for the past few weeks, nor did she want to admit what she and Luigi had been up to in the garden's bushes. "Um, well…we got lost. And we missed the boat."

Bowser and Junior simultaneously gave disgusted faces. "Well, if you're all done explaining your _intimate business_, you clowns actually came with good timing. Take the princess back to her castle and make sure she gets proper care."

Bowser reluctantly let Peach out of his grasp; putting her, piggyback style, onto Daisy's back. The two Koopas sadly waved goodbye to their favorite princess, then walked back to the Clown Car.

Meanwhile, Daisy and Luigi took turns hauling Peach back to the castle. Daisy looked at her cousin with a mix of amusement, excitement, and embarrassment. _What in the Underwhere just happened back there? _"Mm, Peachy?"

"Yes?"

"I think it might be better for all of us if we didn't mention this to anyone at the castle. From now on, you, me, and Weegie were all out enjoying the sun and playing Frisbee until you twisted your ankle, right?"

"Uh, right."

Daisy wanted to know--she _needed_to know what Peach was doing on the outskirts of the castle gardens with Bowser Koopa and his son. It took every ounce of her restraint not to ask a million probing questions. She looked at Peach, chatting happily with Luigi about birds while riding on his back. _She'll come out with it in her own time…she'd better._


	22. Fantasy to Reality

**A/N: Longest chapter ever! Ripe and full of fluff, if not the kind you've come to expect. I'm in bed sick with a fever today, so no school for me. Maybe I'll have a chance to get some writing done! Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks again for your continued support!

* * *

**

Bowser hummed to himself, tenderly flipping the pages of his magical photo album. He especially liked today's pictures. There were pictures of him meeting Junior's teacher when he picked the Koopaling up from the academy, pictures from the picnic and him holding the ridiculous kitten mug. There was a close-up of Peach laughing, a bit of meringue stuck on her cheek. All of the pictures were the highest quality; they almost looked like they could move if they wanted to. Of course, one of Bowser's favorite photos was one where Peach was nestled into his arms, head resting on his chest. It was a shame she was crying like that, but she still looked beautiful to him, just frustrated and pained.

Bowser sighed, half out of renewed loneliness, half out of contentedness. A year ago, he would have never dreamed he would have such a treasure, a book given to him by his true love, full of memories shared by the ones closest to him. In fact, if somebody would have told him a year ago that he would get to have a picnic in the Mushroom Royal Gardens with Peach and his youngest, he would have laughed in that person's face, and then he would have had him or her thrown into the dungeons for telling such a ridiculous lie. For once, things seemed to be working out well for him.

* * *

"Hey Twink," Geno called to his favorite young friend in Star Road. "I've got a wish here and I'm not sure if I should grant it. It seems to be a matter of opinion."

Twink looked up from his wish making balance sheets. Geno never called him over to evaluate a wish unless it was some kind of trick or something outrageously crazy. He was expecting a pupil at four and still had not managed to balance all his books properly. Still, Geno's antics were usually worth the time, so he floated over.

"Oh no, is it another one from that pink afro haired Dupree guy, wishing for another _mademoiselle_?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not quite as entertaining as all of that. Here we are, one wish from Princess Daisy of Sarasa Land. She would like to know…what's going on between Princess Peach Toadstool and King Bowser Koopa."

Twink flushed with annoyance, "Hey, I thought we were done talking about this. You've been gloating for weeks."

"Well, should I grant it or not?"

"No. It's none of her business, plus, I don't really want to add legitimacy to this whole deal. Besides, I know Princess Peach so I shouldn't be involved, it's a conflict of interest!"

"Suit yourself, small one," Geno chuckled to himself. When had this little Star Kid grown up to be such a mature stickler for rules? He was certain that one day Twink would fulfill his own wish of becoming an honorable Star Spirit, but before he did, he would have to open his mind learn that certain bends to the rules were quite acceptable. Geno smiled and sent Daisy's wish down on low priority, despite what Twink had said. After all, it was not very nice to leave people in the dark.

* * *

A knock to Bowser's thick, black double doors startled the Koopa King. Kamek's voice floated though the room, "Sire, I have urgent news."

Bowser straightened and swiftly opened the doors. It was not like Kamek to be so serious and so direct. Kamek knew better than to report anything as "urgent news" unless it was truly dire. Bowser swallowed grimly, waiting for impact. "What is it?"

"We recently received a report from retired lieutenant Koot."

"Lieutenant who?"

"Retired lieutenant Koopa Koot; you may remember, it was my idea to hire him some years ago when you procured the Star Rod. We hired him to stall Mario by asking for complex favors and offering arcade club cards and other trivial tokens as rewards."

"Oh, that guy."

"Yes My Lord. He was attending a function at the Mushroom castle this afternoon while you were out. Coincidentally, the mother of the Mario Brothers was attending the same event and he overheard some dire news."

"Well out with it already, you're makin' me nervous, you old windbag!" Bowser's heart was hammering in his chest. The last time Kamek had spoken to him like this, it was to inform him of the assassination of his parents.

"It seems, Your Grace, that Mario intends to ask for the princess' hand in marriage; sooner than later, from the sounds of it."

Bowser's heart felt like it dropped into his knees. "What!?" He yelled so loudly the echo shook the frames on the wall. Bowser stomped his feet in anger. "Every time anything in my life goes right, that bumbling jackass has to just crash everything! When does it end?"

"I'm sorry, Sire."

"No, not this time. That's not good enough. We need to keep Mario away from Peach for as long as possible."

"My Lord, even if we stall him, it won't stop him from—"

"I don't care what we have to do! Look at this picture Kamek!" He roughly shoved the photo album in the aged Magikoopa's hands; the picture of Peach resting in Bowser's arms stared back at him. "Look how far I've come, Kamek. You can't let him take this away from me. I don't care if we have to make a committee with the sole purpose of inventing new ways to keep Mario away from Peach for the rest of his natural life; I won't let him get close to her."

"I understand."

"Good. So what do we do first?" Bowser ambled over to his desk and sat down with a huge sigh. It had promised to be such a good evening.

"I should think the best way to keep Mario away from Princess Peach would be to abduct her from the castle and hold her here."

Bowser growled, "It would be a good idea, but I'm not supposed to do that anymore. She…trusts me not to."

"Well, if we cannot remove Peach, then we must remove Mario."

"Whatever we do, we can't make Peach upset."

"Hm, perhaps if we sent him on an adventure of some kind?"

"All of his adventures revolve around rescuing Peach! It's like his whole stinkin' life revolves around Peach. If I cause havoc somewhere, she'll know and won't be happy, and if Peach is in trouble, then Mario will be her hero; it's like I can't win!" Bowser ruffled though the papers on his desk. He held up a paper for a Ninji assassination service and shook his head. It was not as if he could have the plumber assassinated, nor could he think of a way to galvanize the plumber to action in a way that did not involve the princess.

"What do we know about Mario…?" mused Kamek, lost in thought.

Bowser's hand fell on a magazine article clipped out from Koopa Couture Magazine. It was Wendy's interview with some actress named Pauline something-or-other. His face lit up as he skimmed the article. This dumb actress had admitted to a previous relationship with the famous Super Mario. "Kamek! What do we know about this Pauline chick?" he demanded, thrusting the article at him.

"Oh, well, let's see. Oh yes, I remember this. A long time ago, before Mario was much of a concern to us, there was a big uproar about an ape, Donkey Kong, and this young woman on top of some construction sites. According to this article, it seems that Mario has always had a knack for saving young women and that the two had something of a relationship?"

"Yeah, that dumb plumb has never been able to say no to someone in need. I remember old DK, how is he doing these days."

"Unfortunately, he was fairly old at the time of this whole adventure, and I fear he hasn't aged very well. Apparently his son, Donkey Kong Jr., that ape you are actually familiar with, has something of an affinity for horrible rap music which has…"

"Look, I don't care. Are the Kongs still working for us or not?"

"No, I'm afraid they are not; however, they will work for rather small bribes."

"How much? Give me the number and I'm there."

"Whatever the going rate is on a ton of bananas ought to do it."

"Bananas? Are you serious? I'm gonna feel like a real jerk going up to an ape with a bunch of bananas and assuming he's gonna do something for me. Whatever, I guess stereotypes are there for a reason. Kamek, get the Kongs on the line and make them an offer they can't refuse."

Bowser smiled evilly. That would keep the meddling plumber out of his affairs for a while, and with any luck, maybe he could reignite some old flames.

* * *

Toadsworth clucked at the princess as she hobbled back and forth on her crutches. Ever since the news concerning Mario's impending proposal, he felt he had to be more protective of Peach than ever. "Poppet, please, you simply must get your rest. Remember R.I.C.E. —Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation!" How terrible it would be if she somehow became permanently damaged; Toadsworth had no doubt Mario would still propose to the poor girl, he was honorable and not shallow in that way. However, he was sure Peach would be heartbroken if she was unable to walk down the aisle on her own wedding day.

"Toadsworth, please don't worry so much, I'll be fine. The doctor said I should be back on my feet again in two weeks at most."

"Yeah Toady, don't worry so much. She's got me to keep her company!" Daisy turned to Peach, "I ordered the latest Zip Toad flick, you're gonna love it!"

Toadette peeked in the doorway, "Did someone just say Zip Toad? Oh wow, my cousin is the hugest fan; I guess she met a Zip Toad imposter on the train where she works and--"

Toadsworth gave the chatty little Toad a sharp glance. "Oh, right, sorry. It's been half an hour, so it's time to take that compression bandage off your ankle, Princess."

Toadette bent down and carefully removed the wrap revealing a blackened splotchy ankle.

"Ew, oh Peachy, that looks nasty!" Daisy exclaimed.

Peach smiled and shrugged, "It's alright, luckily for me it doesn't hurt at all. I could walk around on it right now, I wouldn't feel a thing!"

"Don't you dare," cautioned Toadsworth.

Peach flopped back on her bed, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Daisy shook the bottle of her favorite color of nail polish. "Well, let's give your feet _something _to pretty them up a little." The Sarasa princess smirked as Toadsworth quickly retreated from the room. She had learned early on that the smell of nail varnish was unduly irritating to the elder Toad's nose, and was her perfect weapon when she wished to talk to Peach alone.

Toadette pretended to be busy in the background, secretly eavesdropping on the princesses. She was shocked to hear about the picnic with Bowser, but even more shocked to hear the mirth in Peach's voice as she described everything from the fun time she had chasing Junior to the food she ate.

Although Toadette was a very young and inexperienced Toad, she had a keen intuition, an unusually high emotional IQ, and a romantic sentimentality. She knew a budding love story when she heard it. In her absent-minded fiddling, she accidentally knocked over a small bottle of iodine, which summarily broke and stained Peach's pink rug with a deep yellow. "Oh my Stars, I'm so sorry, I'll get someone in here to clean it up right away." Toadette ran out of the room, her heart hammering but happy. _It's so sweet, Bowser's in love with Her Highness, and she is beginning to think highly of him. Maybe if she were to fall in love with him, Bowser wouldn't come attack our kingdom anymore. _

Toadette found a cleaning servant and, lost in thought, absently alerted him to the mess she had accidentally made in Peach's room. She had always dreamed that true love might be the way to universal world peace. _I'll bet the princess could get him to stop attacking other kingdoms as well. Peach would be the ultimate emissary for peace, the Mushroom Kingdom would be so proud. Then, maybe Mario… _Toadette blushed. She knew her little crush on the greatest hero of all time was probably as inconsequential as the dirt on his boots, but a girl could hope. Either way, if Peach fell in love with Bowser, perhaps everyone could have the one he or she desired, just like in a fairy tale.

Toadette was determined. She wanted to help…but how?

* * *

Donkey Kong raced through the jungle with his nephew, Diddy Kong, fast behind as backup. Candy Kong had not been pleased when she heard that a Darklandian emissary had hired him to kidnap Pauline again. The buxom ape had heard of his previous misadventures and, while she had forgiven him for past transgressions, she was less than thrilled about having that assortment of problems reopened. Donkey Kong was happy in his relationship with Candy Kong; after all, she was clearly the most attractive ape in the jungle. However, he had to admit there was something to be said for the hairless variety of female apes; he found their bare, silky skins to be most alluring.

The Kongs, in general, we not entirely trusting of the Koopas, but the proposition that the aged Magikoopa had pitched was simply too good to turn down. It was a bit shameful to the Kongs that their services could be bought and sold for a few bananas, but ever since some Yoshi tribes had migrated from Yo'ster Isle to the other side of their island, fruit had been in much shorter supply. It seemed that the gluttonous Yoshis ate everything in their path, especially if it contained any trace of fructose. Particularly insidious to the Kongs were the yellow Yoshis, whose love for bananas were unparalleled by any but the Kongs themselves. This opened the island up to a fierce rivalry and constant territorial issues.

At last, the two Kongs arrived at Funky Kong's place, ready to board a barrel plane to the Mushroom Kingdom.

* * *

Two days later, Bowser was upstairs in his chambers, pacing the floor like a maniac. He had heard nothing from the Kongs, and his spies had not reported any Mario Brothers activity. His imagination was in full effect and he felt an incredible urgency to see Peach again. _This could be my last chance; I could lose everything._ He tortured his brain for ways he could get the princess out of the castle. He could not kidnap her, especially without Mario busy on another errand. Then, Mario might ignore the Kong plan altogether to chase after Peach. Finally, Bowser ventured downstairs to eat another dinner alone.

He ordered a large goblet filled to the brim with some atrocious tasting, highly intoxicating beverage, as well as two of the finest steaks available. He could not take it anymore; he was going to force the negative thoughts out of his head with outlandish indulgence until he received further word on his plans. He ate and drank in relative silence, torches burning around him in a dull glow. He heard some ruckus from further downstairs, and took another gulp of his fiery drink. Suddenly, Kammy came into the room, a strange smile upon her face. "Excuse my interruption; you have…an unusual visitor. Do you want to see her?"

_Her? _Bowser shrugged in his tipsy state. "Yeah, sure. Bring her in."

Shortly, a very small figure appeared in a black cloak that was much too big for her. She was shaking uncontrollably as her high voice rang out, "King Koopa? I…have come from the-the Mushroom Kingdom. I wish…to help you…"

Bowser roared, merely because he enjoyed frightening weak-minded Toads from the Mushroom Kingdom. "What are you, some kind of disgruntled maid who wants to turn traitor? Get back to your post, you wouldn't last a day in the Koopa Troop."

"N-No. I love my job; I would never betray my kingdom." The figure took a deep breath to stop herself from fainting. The whole idea was so much sillier and less heroic now that she was actually face-to-face with the Koopa King. "I come in the interests of Her Majesty Princess Peach. I think—I think she would like to see you, though she has not officially made such a request."

Bowser's ears perked up; she wanted to see him? "If she didn't say so, then how would you know, you little runt?"

Toadette shook violently and she uttered her next line; she was not sure if what she was doing was right anymore. "Because, sir, the way she speaks about you…"

That was everything that Bowser needed to hear. Peach was speaking about him, in a good way! He leaped to his feet. "Alright, you have my attention; what are your demands?"

The small Toad shook her head; she had no demands, only hope. "I don't want anything from you, I only want Her Highness to be happy and for our lands to be at peace."

Bowser narrowed his eyes, "Don't lie to me; there must be something in this for you; there's always a selfish motivation."

"N-no…I mean, I guess it's just…"

Kammy smiled malevolently, "Can't you see? She's trying to get Peach out of the picture so she can have the hero for herself?"

Toadette gasped. _How did that Magikoopa know about that?_

Kammy laughed, "Please little Toadette, if your thoughts were any louder, they'd make my hearing aids ring. Lord Bowser, the girl's intentions are pure enough, even if she is a naïve little fool. I say we can use her."

Bowser looked at the shivering mass of black fabric. What was it that all these girls saw in that annoying plumber? In his estimation, the red-capped hero was the very essence of ugly. He growled, "How old are you anyhow? Isn't that fat, hairy man just a little old for you? You look like you're young enough to be one of my kids."

Toadette blushed furiously; she had not come for a discussion of her love life. She was especially embarrassed because Bowser was completely correct; despite being quite mature for her age, she was certainly no older than Wendy was; thus, Mario was many years her senior.

Together, the king, the Toad, and the Magikoopa hatched a plan to reunite the two royals.

* * *

Pauline screamed and beat her firsts against her captor's back in a futile struggle to get free. He dropped her roughly to the floor of a jungle on some remote shore. He beat his hairy chest with pride and the smaller monkey behind him carefully examined her little red shoe, which had fallen from her foot during their terrifying trip though the treetops.

Pauline had been quite unnerved to be once again swinging precariously from a tree vine while being held by a two-ton ape. She sighed, stress and fear bringing her body to fatigue. Every time she reunited with Mario, she found herself in trouble, usually due to this same ape; his strange tie was dragging in the dirt as the two primates foraged for food. She felt her stomach gurgle; she was quite hungry, but was not sure she could bring herself to eat at a time like this. She opened her purse slowly; as a busy actress, she always made sure to pack a small snack and a bottle of water in case a rehearsal ran late or she could not access food which met her dietary restrictions. She seized a granola bar from inside the purse and was instantly met with an excited chatter from Diddy. It seemed the small monkey had found some bananas and was willing to offer her one in exchange for a portion of the granola bar. She broke off a piece and traded with Diddy, who chattered happily in response. The larger ape returned and sat down and the three bipedal primate species dined together in relative silence.

Although Pauline felt a little like Jane, Donkey Kong was no handsome Tarzan and the lady in red hoped that her masculine mustached hero would come for her quickly.

* * *

Some days later, Peach awoke early on a bright summer morning from some pleasant dream that she could not remember. She stretched, yawned, and looked happily at Buzzy. From the looks of it, a maid had recently treated him to a lovely steam cleaning. "Well don't you look perky today?" she asked the little plush, who stared back at her with its little plastic eyes polished to near perfection.

Peach hummed to herself happily, as she changed into her morning workout clothes. Normally, Peach liked to jog laps around the castle gardens. That way, she could say hello to all the gardeners, feel the cool morning air on her face, and fully appreciate all of the seasonal flowers. However, because of her ankle, Toadsworth had insisted she wear a brace and use the castle's facilities instead. Thankfully, during the last castle remodel, the council had approved a full gymnasium for use by the royal family and all castle personnel. Peach was merely thankful that Toadsworth had not tried to stop her exercise routine altogethe

Peach came down the stairs without much difficulty and entered the brightly lit gym. There were many machines, featuring both anaerobic and cardiovascular types of workouts. Though her ankle was almost fully healed, Peach respected Toadsworth's wishes and fastened her ankle brace.

She decided to hop on an elliptical machine, which was right in front of one of the many windows, which formed a transparent wall to the outside of the castle. From here, she had an excellent view of one of her many garden paths and some of the beautiful flowers. She smiled as she saw little sparrows hop around on the grass looking for worms and seed.

As she began to work up a sweat, she thought about her day. Since Mario was off on an adventure, helping an old friend of his, and politics had been relatively peaceful and stagnant, Peach had been a bit bored. Toadette had kindly offered to take her to a carnival she had heard about, and Peach was going to take her up on the offer. She knew it was somehow wrong to think about cotton candy while she was working out, but that did not stop her from dreaming about the sweet pink treat.

* * *

Mario wiped a drip of sweat from his own brow. Where had that ridiculous ape taken his sweetheart? He gave a pathetic glance to Kolorado, who appeared to be "navigating" at random, trying to avoid the nests of Jungle Fuzzies and other undesirables. The duo was completely lost, it was hot, and they were running out of water. Worse still, Mario knew that DK could have taken Pauline to any number of deserted jungle islands. He had no magical map to point him towards his love, only raw instinct and a quivering mustache. Following the former asset, he grabbed Kolorado by the shell and took a few brief turns through the steamy jungle to find something of a lagoon oasis where they could fill their canteens.

Mario shook his head as the Koopa Troopa blathered on about treasure and ancient civilizations and their customs. To Mario, there was only one treasure in these jungles, and he would not rest until he found her.

Peach sat next to Toadette at the station. The little Toad was tapping the tickets against her leg nervously; aware that there could be severe consequences for what she was doing. She could lose her job, or worse, face charges of treason!

Meanwhile, the somewhat oblivious princess seemed perfectly content. She loved traveling and taking the train was one of her favorite ways to do so. At last, the train was ready to board the passengers. When the two girls took their seats, Peach unwrapped two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and offered one to Toadette, who graciously accepted.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We will arrive at Station D in approximately two hours. Thank you for riding with Mushroom Kingdom Rail Transit."

Peach smiled brightly, watched out the window, and occasionally made small talk with Toadette.

Toadette knocked her feet together nervously. Toad, her brother, had worked so hard to get her a job at the castle after their parents went missing on Lava Lava Island. Princess Peach was so nice to give both Toads positions at the castle so they could live and work there. She would never want to betray the royal family in any way. However, she had a powerful conviction that this action was right; it was a conviction she could not ignore. In truth, Toadette's youthful naivety and pure hearted faith made her the perfect vessel to carry out the will of the Stars. _At least, if I'm convicted of treason, King Bowser promised me full amnesty in his kingdom. _She squirmed in her chair; she knew Bowser was right; she could never make it in the Koopa Troop.

Finally, the train pulled into Station D, where Peach could see the crowds gathering to enter and exit the carnival. She shook the sleeping Toad girl next to her. "We're here, Toadette! Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yes, thank you Princess Peach."

"Hm, where are we?" Peach inquired as they stepped off the train. Aside from the bright lights and cheery noises coming from the carnival attractions, the surrounding area appeared somewhat dark and wholly unfamiliar to Peach.

Toadette did not respond. Instead, she rushed over to get a wheelchair for Peach, as per Toadsworth's orders.

Peach groaned at the sight, "Toadette, I really don't think that will be necessary."

Toadette smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I promised Toadsworth; it was the only way to get you out of the palace today."

Peach sighed heavily. Even when Toadsworth was not around, he was still somehow able to micromanage her life. She sat in the wheelchair and waited for the little Toad to push her about.

Toadette halted. "Um, Princess? There may be a problem."

"What is it?" Peach turned around in her chair and saw the little Toad's cap barely made it over the top of the chair. There was no way the tiny Toad would be able to both push the chair and see where she was going.

"Looks like you ladies could use the help of a tall, studly Koopa!"

Peach spun around to face Bowser. "You look so surprised! Didn't that little Mushroomie tell you I was going to be here?"

Toadette turned red and folded her arms tightly across her chest, looking down at her feet.

"Toadette…" Peach could not understand why Toadette would bring her to the Koopa King.

Suddenly, a Koopaling broke the tension between the princess and her retainer. "Mama Peach! I didn't know you were gonna be here!" Junior shouted.

"Junior? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in school."

"Nope! Today is carnival day because everybody is graduating! Then, it's summer; that means I get to live with King Dad in the castle again!"

Peach smiled at Junior's enthusiasm. She was still less than pleased with Toadette, and had many questions to ask of her; however, members of the Koopa royal family repeatedly interrupted her interrogation.

"Mama Peach," shouted Larry, running out of an inflatable obstacle course. "What happened to your leg? Can I see it?"

She reluctantly pulled down her sock and tried to explain.

"Ew, that looks gnarly! You gotta stretch before you try to play sports!"

"She wasn't playing sports, numskull, she got stuck in the mud and fell on it!"

While Peach was busy with Larry and Bowser, Junior spied Toadette in the background some distance away from the royals, who were now walking away. She looked somewhat stressed and dejected.

"Hi!"

Toadette looked up at the overly friendly Koopaling. "Oh. Hello," she replied sullenly.

"I'm Prince Bowser Junior," he said proudly, holding out his hand. "My Dad just went that way; he's the king of all the Darklands."

Toadette looked at him wearily. What did he want? Could he not see that she did not feel like talking?

Just as Toadette was trying to think of a polite way to ask the Koopaling to go away and leave her alone, a group of five Koopa girls ran to taunt Junior, "Hey Goober!"

"My name's not Goober," he yelled. "It's Junior! Bowser Junior, get it right!"

"Goober, Goober, Goober! Do you need your diaper changed Baby Brother Goober?"

"No!" he roared, "I already told you a hundred times! I get to be the dad when we play house or else I'm not playing!"

"Well then you don't get to play with us!" retorted a Koopa with messy green pigtails and a snout nose. As the brattiest, cruelest, and largest Koopa girl, she appeared to be the leader of the pack.

"Fine, I don't care. I'm gonna play with…this girl!" he yelled, pulling Toadette to his side. Toadette grimaced; she did not want to play with Junior. He was at least three years younger than she was, if not more. Furthermore, he seemed quite immature. Still, she kept quiet as the argument continued.

"Ew, you're going to play with a Mushroom? Did you know that Mushrooms grow from poo?"

Toadette's cheeks tinged with pink. She most certainly did not grow from poo!

The other girls laughed as the snout-nosed, bratty girl continued, "You know, she's almost as ugly as you are, maybe you are the daddy! Look everybody, Junior wanted to be the daddy so badly that he took a big poo and then that Mushroom girl—"

Toadette had heard enough. In a rare display of enraged confidence, she marched right over to the oversized Koopa girl and slapped her right across her snout nose. The Koopa looked stunned and Toadette braced herself to flee, after all, the Koopa girl could easily crush her. Big tears welled up in the Koopa's eyes and she ran off crying for her mom, the rest of the girls following.

Junior stared at Toadette with wide eyes. "You—You're not supposed to hit girls!" he stammered.

"I'm a girl, so I can hit whoever I want," said Toadette with more confidence than she felt. "Well, we better get out of here before that girl's mom comes over."

Junior trotted happily by Toadette's side. _She's so cool; I bet she loves being mean even more than Morton! _Junior smiled at Toadette. "Do you wanna be friends?"

Toadette looked at the Koopaling by her side. If she were forced into the Koopa Troop, it probably would not be a bad idea to be on friendly terms with the prince. She nodded affirmatively.

"Why do you look so sad," he demanded. "You just made a new friend; you're supposed to be happy. Don't you know anything?"

Toadette looked at him crossly.

"Tsk, fine. Look however you want to look. Your loss."

Toadette rolled her eyes.

Hm, you don't talk much. What's your name, anyhow?"

"I'm Toadette."

_Toadette. _He liked the name; he thought it sounded like a name for a girl who was fun. However, Toadette was not being very much fun right now. He decided that he needed to cheer his new friend up.

"Okay Toadette. Let's play Simon Says!"

"Hm, only if I get to be Simon."

Junior scoffed, he wanted to be Simon. "Oh, alright, but nothing crazy like licking a toilet seat or else you have to do it too."

Toadette smiled a little. In the castle, she rarely had an opportunity to play games because either she was on duty, or there was nobody her age with which she could play. "Okay, Simon says touch your nose. Good. Simon says flap your arms like a bird. Okay, Simon says jump up and down…stop jumping."

Junior continued hopping, smirking at her. She would not fool him that easily.

"Okay, so you're good. All right then, Simon says stop jumping and buy Toadette some cotton candy," she said, turning to eye the cotton candy cart. All of the beautiful fluffs of pink, blue, and green looked tantalizing and a little sugar would undoubtedly raise her sprits. However, when she turned back, Junior was gone. Suddenly, she felt a bush beside her grab her wrist and she was sucked into the leafy darkness. She tried to scream, but a claw was clamped firmly over her mouth.

Junior shushed the little Toad and held her close to stop her limbs from flailing outside the bush. Toadette understood when a huge female Koopa stomped around, apparently on the lookout. Toadette recognized her snot-nosed daughter as the pigtailed brat from before. She was still wiping tears from where Toadette had slapped her earlier.

Junior giggled nervously after the mother and daughter had passed. "That was close, I think they're gone, but let's wait and be sure."

Toadette silently agreed. Toadette blushed as she realized Junior had wrapped his short bulky arms tightly around her, pulling her towards his small chest. Junior had his face pressed against her pink mushroom cap. He thought she smelled very nice, like pears and honeysuckle or something; there was no way she grew out of any poo. When the danger had past, the two kids climbed out of the bush.

"So you want cotton candy?" Junior asked. "Watch this!" In an attempt to impress his new friend, Junior made a big production of approaching the cotton candy booth stealthily. The candy maker noted the Koopaling approaching out of the corner of his eye. He watched as the small Koopa gestured to the cute Toad, who noiselessly indicated that she would like the green bag of sweet fluff. The Koopaling swiftly grabbed two bags and hid them behind his shell, sprinting away like a Ninji assassin. The candy maker shook his head at how ridiculous kids could be; why would anyone bother to steal free candy?

Toadette smiled happily as she and Junior covered their hands and faces in green stickiness. Toadette could not believe that a prince had stolen something to give to her. Junior was thankful Toadette did not realize that he was not actually stealing anything.

"Do you like to play house?" Junior asked, licking cotton candy off his fingers. Maybe he had finally met a girl who would let him be the dad instead of the little brother.

"No, not really. I clean Princess Peach's castle all the time, so it's not really a game for me."

"Well then, what do you play?"

"Uh, pretend."

"What do you pretend?"

Toadette blushed; she had never talked to anyone about playing pretend before. Anytime someone caught her doing it, she just said she was thinking about a movie she had just seen. Junior looked at her expectantly and she sighed. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to say. _

"I pretend that I'm Princess Peach! When I'm dusting, I pretend that I'm actually learning a new dance. When I have to carry trays, I pretend that I'm actually doing charity for the poor; and when I have to polish silver with that icky smelling polish, I pretend that King Bowser locked me in a dungeon and that Mario is coming to save--." She stopped herself as she looked at Junior's face. She had forgotten that Bowser was Junior's father. "I'm sorry."

Junior crossed his arms. "So who gets to pretend to be that stupid Mario?" Junior did not know with whom Toadette played pretend, but he had already decided that he did not like anyone who would willingly pretend to be Mario.

"Nobody, that's why it's pretend."

"You play pretend all by yourself?" Junior asked. Suddenly, he realized he had no reason to feel jealous about anyone pretending to rescue Toadette. Instead, he began to feel a little bad for the pink Toad. At least he had a school full of kids, a nice teacher, and seven siblings. All she had was work and a little bit of time to play pretend by herself. "Well, I'll play pretend with you. You can be Mama Peach, but I wanna be King Dad and there's no Mario."

"Well then who will rescue me?"

Junior hit his fist to his chest, "I will! Pretend that the playground is your castle and that the old brown guy is making you do boring princess work and that he's being a pest."

Toadette giggled. _Sir Toadsworth is "the old brown guy"! Junior thinks King Bowser saves Her Majesty from Sir Toadsworth?_

Junior smiled to himself as he did his best to lift the Toad girl off the ground and "rescue" her from the play structure. She was the most fun friend he had ever had. He hoped the next time Mama Peach came to the castle that she would bring Toadette along so they could be best friends forever.


	23. A Daring Rescue

**A/N: Ew, I almost uploaded my resume on accident. Good thing for proofreading! I just got my 100th reviewer! YAY! I can't believe I have 100 reviews! Thanks so much everyone for sticking with me and reading and liking it ^_^! **

**BTW, I know that a full-sized roller coaster at a school carnival is pushing it; I know it. But...this is the DARKLANDS, home of enormous Dragon-Koopas and the royal family heavily subsidizes the Darklandian Academy so...they have a roller coaster on the fairgrounds, okay? I try to keep it realistic but I was playing Mario Party 4 a few days ago and I saw the opening with the crazy unrealistic floating metal present cube from nowhere and people bursting out of it and went "Okay, the Darklands has a dang coaster if I **_**say **_**it has a coaster." Forgive me for taking any future absurd "creative liberties". Enjoy the chapter!

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**

"But Bowser, the game was obviously rigged!" Peach's protests made Bowser smirk as he wheeled her away from the booth. A few seconds ago, she had been arguing with a Snifit when her perfectly aimed softball bounced off the stack of milk bottles. "They must have glued them together or something."

"This is a school carnival. You think they rig the games at a school carnival? Maybe you just didn't throw the ball hard enough," he teased as Peach turned to give him an annoyed look. She knew that he saw the game was unfair. "Look at those little arms you've got there; they're adorable, but they're just not gonna get the job done. That's why I always say you never send a princess to do an awesome Koopa king's work!"

Peach opened her mouth incredulously. "You? You must be joking with me! You not only completely missed the stack of bottles, but you almost took out that elderly Koopa!"

"At least I would have taken something down; not like you," he replied smugly.

"You're awful!"

"I know; it's great isn't it?" Bowser continued down the midway smiling to himself. Suddenly, he stopped and looked upwards at an enormous twisted track on which a beastly roller coaster roared and sped past. "So how do you feel about roller coasters?"

Peach looked at the gargantuan coaster and bit her lower lip. She really was not fond of falling great distances. "Well…I don't know…"

"You're scared?" he asked, a tone of mirth in his voice.

"No, I've just got this inner ear thing and— " Bowser rolled his eyes and picked her up out of her wheelchair mid-sentence and began carrying her towards the entrance gate of the coaster. "Hey, no no, put me down. I'll…get sick!"

"You'll be fine."

Peach began to panic and flail. "No, please…I get really discombobulated," she lied. "And I just ate. I might get sick all over you! Please don't…"

Bowser stopped walking and stared down into Peach's cute blue eyes, she was squirming in his grip. "I'll stop if you stop lying and just admit you're scared to go on the roller coaster."

"Alright, alright, I admit it. I'm scared to go on it, now please put me down."

Bowser smirked triumphantly and kept walking through the gate and turnstiles.

"Hey, what are you doing, you said you'd stop! Put me down!"

"I did stop…and now I'm going again. You need to face your fears, Princess!"

Bowser carefully placed the wriggling princess in a seat of the coaster, and quickly fastened the restraints while Peach looked at him with wide and pleading eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she whimpered. "I'm scared…"

Bowser looked at her sympathetically. He almost felt bad enough to take her off the ride. He reached for her hand with an outstretched claw and grasped it tightly. "Just hold on, it'll be fun. It's perfectly safe; I wouldn't take you anywhere that was dangerous."

Peach looked over at the Koopa King pathetically. Was he not the same king who, in the past, suspended her over molten lava with only a rope around her waist to keep her from a fiery doom?

"Look, if anything goes wrong, you can kick me as hard as you can…twice.

Peach grasped Bowser's hand tighter as the coaster started to move upward

* * *

Mario stared upwards, nostrils flared at the giant ape that held his treasured Pauline.

"I-I say, look at that! Th-that appears to be a rather large ape! He looks rather angry, wouldn't you say, old boy?"

Mario dodged a tree branch that the Kongs had thrown in his direction. Raw instinct collided with his intellect as he looked around, frantically searching for a way to reach the jungle canopy before the apes retreated further into the jungle.

"Mario!" Pauline shouted, "Use the vines to climb up. The canopy is pretty solid, you should be okay!" Pauline was amazed at how collected she felt, considering her position: draped over the shoulder of an odorous, hairy ape that was entrenched in battle with her lover.

Diddy looked at the shouting girl with an air of betrayed annoyance before removing her remaining heel and chucking it at the plumber below.

"Hey! Stop that, those are my shoes! I like those."

Donkey Kong roared with rage when he saw Mario begin to climb the vines leading up the canopy. Without thinking, he hurled a rectangular wooden brick, which hit Mario squarely on the head.

"I say! An artifact!" Kolorado rushed out from behind the bush in which he had been previously cowering. He grasped the wooden block and retreated to his bush, where he fondled the device, admiring its wood grain and strange markings.

Mario rubbed his aching head where the "artifact" had hit him. Angered, he ripped his own shoe from his foot, whirling it upwards. It hit Donkey Kong in the face, dangerously close to Pauline's posterior.

"Mario! What are you trying to do? Be careful, that almost hit me!"

Enraged, the great ape began ripping up the canopy, tearing off all of the vines and hurling branches downwards. Diddy chattered excitedly, mimicking DK by throwing leaves and cosmetics from Pauline's purse. Mario jumped, deftly avoiding the barrage of foliage.

Finally, both the ape and the plumber were exhausted. Sweat dripped from Mario's brow and slightly clouded his vision. Donkey Kong panted while Diddy fanned him. The elder Kong gently stroked Pauline's legs, exposed under her ripped dress.

"Get off of me!" she screamed, kicking furiously. She wondered about the logistics of cross-species sexual harassment and decided she did not want to have to find out how it would hold up in a court of law. "Mario, please help me. I don't know what this ape is doing, but I'm getting really uncomfortable."

As the sweaty, tired plumber searched wearily for a place to climb the trees, Kolorado's bush emitted a long, shrill beep like that of a telephone. "Oh, most curious!" shouted Kolorado.

Donkey Kong's eyes widened in fear. Suddenly, the five heard booming noises from deeper in the jungle. Candy Kong, in all her well-endowed glory, burst onto the scene. She glared at Donkey Kong, who still had a hand placed inappropriately upon one of Pauline's legs. The two apes bickered in their native language as Diddy hid and Pauline wiggled from Donkey Kong's grasp. She slid down a sloped tree trunk to join Mario as the apes' argument culminated with Candy becoming physically aggressive towards the unfaithful male, who began to run into the deep jungle, ostensibly begging for forgiveness.

Pauline recovered her shoes and cosmetics after giving Mario a hug and a kiss. Diddy scampered down and climbed on Pauline's back, eliciting a gasp from the latter. Mario jumped into battle stance, ready to defend Pauline against the latest threat. Diddy merely chattered and pointed to Kolorado, who was still fiddling with Donkey Kong's communication device.

Pauline looked softly upon the monkey. "Hm? You want that? Don't worry Mario; this little guy is actually pretty friendly. I mean, even the big one isn't horrible. Before you came by, we were playing some games and eating fruit, it was extraordinary. Of course, I'm very glad you came, this humidity is a killer!"

Diddy chattered again; this time, he was much more insistent.

"N-No, I shan't give this up, you furry little demon. This is a precious artifact, very useful for my archeological research. I'm quite sorry." Kolorado placed the object close to his chest and turned his shell to the Kong in a defensive posture.

Diddy narrowed his eyes, growing visibly angry. Pauline reacted quickly to diffuse the situation. "Well now, I don't think we have a right to take what isn't ours but…perhaps a trade can be arranged?" She held out a handful of mah-jongg tiles with intricate shapes and symbols. "I--I found these by the banks of a river when those apes were taking me into the jungle. Do they look like anything of value?" she asked, hoping Diddy would not feel offended that she was possibly ruining his handmade mah-jongg set by giving away the pieces.

"Oh, would you look at these? Yes, these are clearly ancient wishing stones from the Macalenian clan of Shy Guy. Quite rare, my good woman. Well, I suppose if this small furry beast insists on taking back the other artifact, I shall have to oblige. Yes yes, excellent, now hand over those artifacts, carefully now."

Pauline rolled her eyes and turned to Diddy with the communicator in her hand. "Alright now, I'm going to give this to you but, do you think you could do me a favor?"

Diddy turned his head quizzically.

"I want you to show us the safest way home, can you do that?"

Diddy chattered happily and grabbed the communicator from her grasp. He pressed a few buttons and shrieked into the device. Afterward, he ran into the jungle towards Funky Kong's barrel plane service. The three adventurers followed happily, excited to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of the jungle.

* * *

"Oh my Stars, that was a lot of fun!" Peach was giddy with excitement; her cheeks flushed pink after she exited the ride for the sixth time that day.

"Hey, quit walking on that ankle!" Bowser demanded weakly, feeling a little green from all of the coaster's constant twisting motions.

"Highnesses, would you care to see your ride photos?"

"Oh no," Peach groaned, covering her eyes. "I don't want to know what I look like in those."

"Well then, let's get out of here," Bowser suggested, before Peach decided she wanted to go on the ride again.

For the rest of the day, the two royals laughed and played while enjoying their day. However, as the golden sun sank below the horizon, apprehension crept over the Koopa King as the darkness crept across the sky. He knew that, too soon, the time would come when he would have to let Peach return to her castle, returning her to a place within the plumber's reach.

"Peach, let's go on the Ferris wheel!" Bowser suggested, quickly wheeling her towards the enormous lighted contraption.

The seat rocked as Bowser took his seat next to Peach. The princess clasped her hands together as the wheel slowly rose, accommodating new couples. A warm wind tousled their hair as they neared the top of the wheel and stopped again to let another couple on the wheel. From here, Peach could see Toadette and Junior boarding the Ferris wheel. She looked down at her gloved hands and thought again about the intentions of her retainer.

Bowser cleared his throat to get Peach's attention. She was missing the view! Peach turned her head in his direction, and he raised his eyebrows, silently asking her to comment on the vista. At the top of the wheel, she could see a great expanse of dark land, speckled with trees and patches of lights. However, the most entrancing things about the landscape were the pools of molten lava emitting a calm red glow over the terrain.

"Is it dangerous to have open pits of lava throughout your land?" Peach asked the first question that came to her mind.

Taken aback by her unexpected reaction to the beautiful view, Bowser frowned and said, "Not really. It's not much more dangerous than having a polluted lake or something. We keep them clearly marked and sealed, and if you've grown up in the Darklands all your life, you pretty much know what they are and how to stay safe."

Bowser wrung his hands nervously. He did not want to be talking about lava safety on this romantic ride. He felt this could well be his last attempt to reach out to her before the foul mustached plumber tried to sweep her away. He ran his claw through his mane; once again, it was now or never.

"Peach. I have to—are you in love with Mario?" It pained him to say the stupid name.

Peach quickly spun in her seat to meet Bowser's gaze. She raised both eyebrows and slid her mouth over to one side in surprise.

"I know it's none of my business but…I need to know."

She frowned lightly. "Why?"

"Because…I need to know if your taste in men is as bad as your cousin's," he lied, creating a flimsy cover for himself.

Peach rolled her eyes and put a hand to her chin in thought. She thought of her dates with Mario, New Year's, the fortuneteller, and her excitement. Then, she thought of how scarcely she saw the hero, her wishes, and her disappointments.

She opened her mouth to answer and Bowser braced himself for the worst. Obviously, if Mario was thinking about asking her to marry him, the two must be very close. "You're right; it really isn't your business," she sighed and continued, "But, I suppose I can't very well say that I am…"

Bowser looked surprised and elated. _She doesn't love him! She doesn't love him! _He took her hand in hers abruptly and looked into her eyes with an urgent seriousness. "Alright, then you have to promise me something."

Peach was shocked to find her hand once again so suddenly enclosed by Bowser's warm reptilian claw. She bit her lip as she fought back a strange flighty feeling. Why was he acting so strangely all of a sudden?

"In the Darklands, we never settle for less. My dad didn't settle, I won't settle, and you shouldn't ever EVER settle for anything less than perfect, ever. Don't compromise, don't sympathize, nothing. You only live once and then your game is over."

Peach returned his gaze with a bewildered stare of confusion. _What is he talking about!? First he's on about Mario, then he's asking me not to make compromises. What am I supposed to say to that?_

"Bowser, I'm a politician. Compromise is a major part of my job…you know that."

"No!" he yelled, just a bit too loudly, causing a few of the other passengers to turn in their seats and look at the Koopa King. "Not like that, I mean about stuff that matters. Not kingdom stuff, but your life and feelings. Promise me you'll never settle for 'good enough'. I know it sounds crazy, but just do it."

"O-okay, I promise."

"Good," he said smugly, taking a deep breath and relishing the feeling of her hand within his. Lost in thought and strange feelings about the king sitting next to her, Peach did not pull her had away and instead looked over the gorgeous scenery, feeling at once an exhilarated nervousness and a warm contentedness.

After the ride ended, Peach reunited with Toadette, who had rekindled her own anxious feelings by the end of the evening. On the Ferris wheel, she could not help telling Junior about all of her fears of what might happen to her because she had dared to bring the princess to his father. Junior felt bad for his new best friend and wanted to help her more than he had ever wanted anything in his whole life. Now, he could see Toadette's sad expression as Peach prepared to question her about her loyalties and motives. Junior swallowed big and decided that being a hero and saving people was not just for pretend. Toadette was a beautiful girl and, more importantly, she was in trouble!

"Mama Peach," he said in his best sad voice. "I'm really sorry…do you forgive me?"

"Sorry? For what are you sorry, Junior?"

"I made your Mushroom girl bring you here today. I told her I would do bad things if she didn't do what I said. I just wanted you to come and be with me, I'm sorry."

Toadette's eyes widened and her mouth opened but she kept quiet. Since his father knew the truth, Junior was in no danger of receiving any punishment; however, she thought that the Koopa prince was very compassionate to come to her aid.

"You forced Toadette? How could you have possibly done such a thing? I thought you were supposed to be in school!"

Bowser looked at his son with amused admiration. It was not every day he saw one of his kids stick his or her neck out for somebody else. Unfortunately, Junior's lie was not a believable one, and it was clear his son has not thought of a feasible way to answer Peach's question. Rather than leave his son grasping for explanations, he decided to step into the act.

"That's not what's important here! Son, how dare you threaten one of Mama Peach's retainers? Do you know what that is? It's an act of terrorism, you irresponsible, ignorant little fool! I spend hours in meetings and negotiations with the Mushroom Kingdom so that we can have a peaceful relationship with them! Now what do I find out? I find out that my own stupid brat is ruining all my hard work with his petty, selfish acts of terrorism! I have half a mind to lock you in the dungeon for the rest of summer! No video games; no dessert!"

Bowser's act of roaring and yelling was so convincing, even Junior began to think he might really be in trouble and started to cry, even though he wanted to seem tough in front of Toadette. Still, he would not expose Toadette in front of his Mama Peach. He'd rather be locked in the dungeons all summer than make her lose her happy smile. Toadette looked at the Koopa King pleadingly, she knew that he knew the truth; was he really so cruel to unjustly punish his own son?

"Bowser," Peach started softly. "I don't think anyone in my kingdom views Junior's actions as terrorism. He's only a child and children make foolish decisions. He apologized and admitted he was wrong."

"Peach, he's gotta learn that big boy threats have big boy consequences." Bowser heaved a dramatic sigh, "But I guess if nobody else in your kingdom finds out about this and you don't think it's terrorism, then there's no harm done. Still, I'm not happy to hear about this and I think Junior owes the Mushroom girl a proper apology. You could have gotten her in a lot of trouble you little whelp. Now give her an apology, the Darklandian Princely way."

Junior had to stop himself from smiling as he scrunched up his face and said, "Do I gotta?"

"Now!" Bowser returned in a low, menacing growl.

Junior sighed and bowed deeply in front of the pink Toad. "I'm sorry for being a big jerk, I hope you'll forgive me," he said in his most reticent voice before giving Toadette a quick peck on the cheek.

Toadette's eyes widened further than she thought possible. She muttered "I accept your apology" to the ground as a crimson hue invaded her face.

The Darklandian royals accompanied the two ladies to the train station and stood on the platform as they watched the train pull away.

Bowser smirked at his youngest. "A Mushroom girl, eh? You're a chip off the old block."

Realizing that he was not in trouble and that his father had just saved his neck and set him up with an excuse to kiss Toadette, Junior returned Bowser's smirk with a wide grin. "That's 'cause you're the best, King Dad."


	24. Propose the Preposterous

**A/N: Oh, these kids have had it SO good for the last 23 chapters or so, haven't they? But as most of us have found out, you can't build a castle of cards without something coming along and bringing it crashing down. So let's get down to it already! We're about to get vicious and nasty. I am fully exercising my 'T' rating in this chapter with the use of the almighty eff-bomb, but c'mon, in a situation like this, wouldn't you say it too? **

**Also, I've totally caught up with myself; I wrote this last chapter on Saturday. (I'm frustrated with school and life, can you tell?) Your suggestions and requests are now more relevant than ever, as I'll most likely be able to implement them quickly and easily, so long as they make sense with my overarching plot line. We're in the home stretch, but please don't worry about me rushing these important bits. I'll do my best to give them all the care and attention they deserve. Thanks everybody for sticking with YotW for as long as you have, I appreciate all the reviews and comments. Without further ado, let's start throwing those monkey wrenches!

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Mario jiggled his leg nervously as he waited for his darling Pauline. The waiters at the newly renovated and redesigned Sora Sora bustled by his table for two.

"More water, sir?" a finely dressed bus boy refilled Mario's glass. "I'm sure she'll come soon, sir."

Far from the quaint diner it had once been, Sora Sora had received generous investment from WarioWare Inc. and now filled a previously empty industry niche in the Mushroom Kingdom as an upscale four-star restaurant.

Mario swirled his water and took a sip as a flash of blond hair caught his eye. Up at the front of the restaurant, Princess Peach looked to be making an inquiry to which the maître d' was pointing in his direction. Mario's stomach wrenched in anxiety. _What is she doing here? Is she looking for me? How did she know I was here? _Questions raced though the plumber's mind as the princess approached the table.

Her usual pink dress replaced with a slinky, form-fitting black dress, which had a slit running all the way up the leg; Peach was looking entirely more voluptuous than he had ever seen before. At last, as she neared the table, he looked into her eyes and smiled. Instead of finding the clear cerulean irises he had been expecting, he was perplexed to encounter Pauline's misty gray ones staring back at him.

"Oh Mario, I'm so sorry I'm late. I hope you didn't wait too long, the salon took way longer than I thought it would."

Mario smiled back politely, heart still hammering in his chest. He had no idea why a single man should have been as scared of discovery as he was, but he supposed having a powerful monarch in love with him as he was actively trying to court another woman was as good a reason as any to be nervous. For now, he had many more things on his mind about which to be nervous. Amazingly, in his tumult, somewhere in the back of his mind he thought,_ what has she done to her hair?_

"Well," Pauline started, smiling sheepishly. "What do you think?" She ran her hands though her dyed hair. Mario nodded politely, indicating his false approval.

"You're too nice; I think it's awful. I mean we go onstage tomorrow night! You still have that ticket I gave you, right? I can't believe that terrible director decided at the last minute that my _coloring_ 'clashed' with his precious Madame Flurrie. He demanded that I completely change my physical appearance to highlight that…woman. Do you know how many years this is going to take to grow out?"

Mario did not know how many years it would take before her hair grew out, but he stayed silent to let Pauline rant. He was beginning to lose confidence; he had wanted her to be happier tonight. He wanted to make her happy always.

"And why couldn't she have changed her hair? Apparently being brunette doesn't make my character 'believable'. Believable, are you kidding me? I'll tell you what's unbelievable, casting some conceited has-been as the romantic lead and slowly demoting me to practically a background character. I realize there are no small roles but still…You know, she has him eating out of her hand and who knows where else; I'll bet she asked him to do this to me because she's mad that her diet isn't working. Jealousy is disgusting, isn't it?"

Mario offered his hand in comfort and solidarity with her predicament. He didn't know how he could help, so he kissed her on the cheek and nuzzled her softly, hoping she'd forget all about her days stresses and just relax to enjoy her time with him.

"Oh, you're so incredibly sweet to take me out to dinner like this, and here I am going on and on about work. You said you had something important to talk to me about; what is it?"

Mario shook his head coyly, with a smile and insisted they first enjoy dinner and some lighter conversation. The evening moved along splendidly thereafter. Pauline perked up and talked jovially in her usual manner about news, politics, and all sorts of interesting facets of her day. Mario was more than happy to listen, occasionally offering a joke or an insightful view. Perfectly matched conversationally, the pair always had a delightful time with one another.

For dessert, the couple enjoyed a "Darklandian Shiver"; a veritable volcano of ice cream, dripping with molten fudge and engulfed in flaming liqueurs. Emboldened by the sparkling wine, Mario even sang along with the live band for Pauline's tipsy, embarrassed pleasure. As they exited the restaurant, Mario took Pauline by the hand and the couple walked to the lakeside. A half moon shining brightly above, Mario held Pauline's hand and sighed happily.

Mario did not notice the cloaked, shadowy figure standing stock still in the shadows as he knelt on one knee and removed a velvet box from his coat pocket. In her enthusiastic squeals of delight and acceptance, Pauline could not hear the figure disappear to report to its master.

* * *

Bowser was sleeping peacefully while lying on his stomach, his tacky satin sheets enveloping him in a loose cocoon. A light snore issued from his mouth and his claw rested upon his precious photo album.

Suddenly, his double doors burst open with a loud bang, nearly breaking the hinges on which they sat. "Sire!" Kamek yelled at his charge to awaken him. As expected, Bowser awoke in a rage until he realized that an army corps of Magikoopas was now facing him.

"Wh-What's going on?!" Bowser rubbed his eyes sleepily; something like this had not happened since the bomb threats in the years of the war. Who would be foolish enough to attack his kingdom now?

"Sorry to disturb you; please understand that time is of the essence. Get dressed…now."

Bowser's eyes widened; Kamek had not commanded him with that tone since he was a child. Indignant with sleep deprivation and pride, Bowser retorted, "No, you gonna tell me what's going on, right now; and in the future you better think twice about who you're ordering around. I'm the king; I'm not some little kid anymore."

Kamek was visually losing patience, biting his tongue to stop him from lashing out at his indignant sovereign. Kammy lightly touched the sleeve of Kamek's robe to warn him to remain silent. Pushing to the front, Kamea bowed and hastily uttered, "Forgive us, Your Majesty, but we have just received word that our worst fears have been confirmed. Princess Peach has accepted Mario's hand in marriage; our intelligence agents just confirmed the proposal and subsequent engagement. I am…so sorry."

"No…NO, you're wrong! It can't be!" he roared. "She promised me she wouldn't settle for less than love! She said she didn't love him!"

"Perhaps…"

"No 'perhaps'! No more motherfucking 'perhaps'! You are all worthless!" he screamed, sweeping various items to the floor. "I asked for one thing in this wretched life. I gave you ONE order, Kamek. I told you to keep him away from her."

"We had a gap in our intelligence, Sire. The agents swear they never saw Princess Peach leave her castle; we are merely fortunate we had an agent on Mario as well."

"Fortunate?! How fortunate are we? Are we fortunate that we know that Peach betrayed me? Lucky that we know how that bastard will be in Peach's bed for the rest of her life? Tell me, you worthless waste of air, tell me how lucky we are."

"Your Highness, please calm yourself, all is not lost."

"Screw you, hag. You're as useless as he is; maybe if you all didn't have one foot in the retirement home you might have followed orders! Consider yourselves dishonorably discharged." With that, Bowser spun on his heel and hastily stomped out of the room.

_How could she? How could she? She promised; this has got to be a dream, a sick sick dream. Wake up, you idiot, wake up right now and tell me this isn't real! _He pinched himself hard enough to piece his skin with his claw and draw blood. She had betrayed him, and now, he would betray her. He stomped to the hangar and boarded the Clown Car.

Not knowing what other noise to make, he cackled in hateful, menacing laughter. Laughter at his own broken heart, worthless feelings, and self-pity. He headed straight for Mushroom Castle. One way or another, he would have his Peach by his side. She would dance in his arms, whether she wanted to or not. This time, when she left her Mushroom Castle, she would never be back. The only reason he would hesitate to slay the cursed plumber is if there was some possibility of torture before he could murder him in the most brutal way imaginable. Thus, he would have his revenge.

* * *

Peach slept with a light smile on her lips and Buzzy in her arms. All day, she had a feeling something interesting was going to happen to her, but the most interesting thing that had happened all day was the discovery of an extra piece of chocolate that Toadette had placed on her pillow.

Peach awoke with a start as she heard a crash and saw shattered glass fly across her room. Bowser laughed menacingly as he roughly directed Peach into his Clown Car.

"Bowser, what are you doing? You broke my balcony!"

Bowser did not reply and instead started piloting away.

"Hey, answer me! You're supposed to send an invitation or something, remember?"

Bowser turned around, stuffing his enormous face directly in front of hers. He stared her down and said nastily, "And _you're _supposed to keep _your_ promises too, Princess!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Shut up! Don't act like you don't know why I'm here. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

Peach recoiled in horror; Bowser had never spoken to her like this. Suddenly, she did not feel quite so safe around him anymore.

"I'm sorry…I really don't know what you're talking about."

Bowser grunted in anger and focused on piloting the Clown Car.

"Please, can we talk about this? If I forgot a promise, I don't remember and I'm really sorry. I'm sure I can make it up to you."

"There's nothing to talk about. You're right; you will make it up to me. You're going to stay with me in my castle for the rest of your life. You will never see Mario or the Mushroom Kingdom ever again."

Peach opened her mouth in protest as they neared the Darklandian Castle. _Why is he doing this? _

Bowser landed the Clown Car inside the hangar and pushed Peach out into the castle. "Go to your room or have the Koopatrols show you to the dungeons, it's your choice."

"Please, can you just tell me what I did wrong?" Peach beseeched, searching for kindness in his hardened eyes.

Bowser grimaced, scrunching his eyes with the pain of her pleas. "You…you know damn well what you've done!" he screamed. "You and that plumber! You promised me you'd never settle for less. You lied to me, Peach! You told me you didn't love him! So which is it, did you lie about being in love or did you simply say yes to the first fool who ran along with a ring?"

Now, it was Peach's turn to be angry. "I already told you, I have no idea what you're talking about. I was at my castle all day; I didn't lie or say yes to anybody! I was sleeping when you came along and completely destroyed my balcony, pushed me around, and screamed at me. Friends don't do these things!"

"I am not your friend!" he yelled back.

"Well, that's another bit of news, first I've heard of it!"

"Just tell me why you said yes. Why the hell would you agree to marry that plumb scum?"

Peach began to turn red from the heat of the argument, growing more indigent with every confusing accusation Bowser flung at her. "For the last time, I don't know what you're talking about. Furthermore, even if I did, what business is it of yours?"

"It's all of my business! You can't get married to anybody because you-- _you're already married to me_!"

"Oh enough! I am not married to you, I have never been married to you, and I will _never be_ married to you. "

Peach's cold words and harsh tone struck Bowser's heart like an icy dagger. His eyes widened and he sharply inhaled through his nose. He wanted more than anything to force her to take back what she had said. Still, he could never bring himself to inflict physical harm. _This is it…she said she would never marry me. She wants him and not me._ He wanted to hate her, but all he could feel was a nauseating mix of frustration and general malice.

Peach gathered her courage in the resulting silence from her previous words. "What does it matter to you what I do with my life? How dare you break down my door, take me from my castle, shout at me, and make accusations about things that are none of your concern? Where do you get off?"

Bowser looked down and growled at her in the back of his throat. Looking upwards with an icy glare, he smirked maliciously. "You idiotic blonde bimbo. How many times do I have to answer the same question? It is my business. It has _always_ been my business! I can't believe how wrong I was. I used to admire how smart you seemed, how quickly you caught on to new things, and what a good politician I thought you were. Obviously, I was blind."

"What are you talking about…?"

Bowser clenched his fists into tight balls and roared, "If you are too _stupid_ to figure out that I am in love with you and have always, ALWAYS been in love with you, then you obviously don't deserve my crown, or any other crown for that matter!"

Peach stood stunned as Bowser commanded his Koopatrols, "Get her out of my sight!"

Before long, Peach found herself in her old room. She sat on the bed and, shaken by the stress of recent events and all that Bowser had said, she began to cry with frustration, fear, and anger.

Meanwhile, in the Mushroom Castle, Toadette whispered softly, "Call the Mario Brothers, something is desperately wrong."

* * *

Mario was laying awake in bed, slowly stroking Pauline's bare back and smiling to himself while thinking about his amazing day. Tomorrow, he would call Mama and tell her the good news, consequences be damned. He was just drifting off to sleep when the vibrations of his Mailbox SP against the nightstand jarred him awake. He quickly grabbed the device off the end table, glancing over at Pauline who was still asleep, breathing lightly but steadily.

The glow of the screen illuminated his face as he scanned the message from the Mushroom Castle. _Mama Mia, what a terrible time for an attack. _Mario rolled his eyes as he gathered his clothing off the floor to dress himself. Did that enormous reptile have nothing else to do in his free time besides attack other kingdoms? Mario was sure that being a king was probably a lot of hard work, even if one was only in control of one kingdom; He could not see why anyone would want to be in charge of two.

He sighed and glanced over at his beautiful fiancée one last time. _Good thing she's a heavy sleeper. _He grabbed his ticket to the next night's performance off the table and quickly wrote a note describing the circumstances and his whereabouts. Lastly, he put his shoes on his feet, tying the laces tightly, and burst out the door; ready to battle his way once again to the Darklands.

* * *

"Go away!" Peach moaned weakly at some Darklandian minion knocking at her door.

Despite the order, the door swung open noiselessly, revealing a three Magikoopas and a Boo.

"I said leave me alone, I have nothing to discuss with any minion of Bowser's."

"Your Highness," spoke Kamek, "unfortunately you have been demoted from 'guest' status to 'prisoner' status. Normally, under His Majesty's command, we would still acquiesce to your commands; however, we are by no means required to do so. At this moment in time, we have a matter most important to share with you."

Kitty wanted to reach out and hug the princess. She looked so sad and frustrated. It was as if she did not understand the pain that she had caused His Majesty.

"I don't want to hear it. I'm going to sit in this room by myself until the Mario Brothers come to rescue me and I hope to never see any of you ever again."

"Princess, that is exactly our fear. We don't know why you did what you did, but we understand that is not our place to be concerned. Even if we disagree and had hoped things might turn out differently, we must respect your decision and wish you health and happiness."

As Kamea paused, Peach prepared to vehemently deny she had made any choices and express her frustrations. However, when the time came, she found she was unable to utter even a word. She glanced at Kammy, who shrugged with a semi-agreeable smile. A simple silencing spell, Kammy felt, would make everyone's job a whole lot easier and more pleasant.

"It is not a subject's place to get involved with the personal affairs of royal bodies; however, as subjects, we are concerned about peace and stability between our kingdoms. We must make sure that Your Highness at least understands the Koopa King's position on the matter."

Peach sat in forced, angry silence at Kammy directed Kitty and Kamea to insert a video into the tape player in Peach's room. As the screen flickered to life, the face of a glowering young Bowser appeared, and Kamek turned off the lights for dramatic effect. _He _rather liked this video.

"And what's _this _dumb thing?" Bowser asked, taking a swat at the camera and missing.

The camera panned to reveal a much younger looking Kamek, who was piloting the Koopa Cruiser. "That would be a Paracamera, Young Lord. It will be present to ensure you won't be getting into any more mischief. After those fine presents you left in my hat, I feel it may be necessary to keep a closer eye on you, particularly while we are out travelling."

Bowser sniffed in annoyance, "If you think that little camera is gonna stop me from doin' anything I want, you've got another thing coming, Mekky."

The Magikoopa rolled his eyes and resumed piloting the copter in silence. Soon bored of the peace and quiet, Bowser whined loudly "So why do we have to go see this Princess Poop anyhow?"

"It's Princess Peach, My Lord, and we must be on our finest behavior. As I've told you at least a dozen times before, since the passing of your esteemed mother and father, we need the help of allies more than ever. The Mushroom Kingdom is a place of minor military might, but of considerable wealth."

Bowser let out a huge yawn to show Kamek that he found this explanation boring. Kamek narrowed his eyes and resumed talking with a grittier tone of voice. "Also, we have given the kingdom good reason to ally with our enemies; our quest for military power using the Star Children did not go as fortuitously as we might have hoped. In short, we are here to seek propitiation for the kidnapping of their princess in some meetings."

"But why do _I _have to be there? I didn't kidnap any smelly baby, you did!"

"You have to be there because you're the current head of state. You are going to present the princess with that toy you've got in your hands as a gesture of goodwill."

Bowser eyed the Buzzy Beetle plush in his hands indignantly. Finally something good to complain about! "But I want it! I'm not giving this to her, this is mine!"

"My Lord, you have _several _at home and we don't have time to get another one right now. You will give that to Princess Peach."

"I don't wanna! It's mine! You can't make me! I'm the king; you're not the boss of me!"

"Sire? Do you still want to be the king when you grow up?"

"Of course!"

"Well do you want to rule a kingdom of people, or have a few plush toys?"

Bowser sighed and rolled his eyes. He understood. "Fine, you better not screw up those meetings."

Peach looked down at her hands as the video skipped forward. None of her subjects had ever told her that Buzzy was from Bowser. _Some apology that was, it doesn't seem like anyone from the Darklands learned any lessons about kidnapping princesses._

The next clip in the video showed a close up of Young Bowser's face peering in at what was ostensibly his first peek at a human baby, swaddled in pink fabrics and gurgling to herself. He turned to Kamek with a look of disgust. "Does it even talk?" he asked. He was disappointed, as he had never seen a princess or a human before and had hoped that they would be good to play with.

"No, My Lord, she is but a few months old. Why don't you give her your present?" urged Kamek, on his most pleasant behavior in front of a Mushroom Chancellor.

Bowser rolled his eyes and peeked over the crib. "Hey. Hey you little princess baby thing…do you want a toy? It was gonna be mine but now I'm gonna give it to you because I'm bigger than you and have more toys than you." He looked at the baby, halfway expecting her to challenge his statement so that he may have an excuse to argue with her. Instead, she reached out her hand for the toy.

"Oh you_ do_ want it?" he smirked at the pathetic gesture; Kamek said he had to give her the toy, but he never said when. He held it just out of the princess' grasp until Kamek shot him a hard look.

"Oh fine," he muttered dejectedly, placing the plush into her tiny wet grasp. He watched in revulsion as she stuffed the entire head of the Buzzy Beetle in her mouth and gummed it contentedly, thick drool coating the fuzzy exterior. "Gross baby…"

Peach shook her head as scene after scene went by of different Darklandian visits to the Mushroom Kingdom while she was an infant. Beyond showing what a brat Bowser had been when he was young; she could not understand the significance of the video and why the retainers had been so insistent on her watching it.

The film now cut to a later visit. Peach was now a small toddler, still much more comfortable crawling than walking. By contrast, Bowser was a rambunctious young child who was interested in watching violent television programs and smashing his toys together in "contests" to see which one would break first. He now sat bored in a large playpen area looking numbed by a person on the television in a large, puffy Yoshi costume spewing out songs about familial love and educational facts.

The Princess was busy crawling about collecting noisy toys and rattles to shake. Bowser was in a bad mood and the incessant noise was beginning to get on his nerves. At last, Peach found her large, pink, watermelon lollipop and stuck it in her mouth, instantly earning the attention of her Koopa companion. Baited by the smell of the candy, he took the lollipop from her mouth in a childish display of might.

Predictably, the baby princess began to wail with the intensity of lovelorn banshee forever separated from her true love by the mists of time and death. Bowser stood stunned, unsure of what to do; he had heard her cry before, but never like this. Worried that someone might come along and figure out he had taken her candy, he quickly returned the lollipop to its rightful owner's hand.

To his surprise, this did not stop the crying. All the wailing was giving him a serious headache. Suddenly angry about the pain she was causing him, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Stop crying, you stupid baby!"

To this outburst, Peach suddenly began to cry louder than before. Bowser lowered his head and covered his ears, trying to block out the awful noise. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the top of his head; the baby was pulling his hair! He roared with pain and outrage. Somehow, the expression on his face seemed to make the princess stop crying and start laughing.

At first, Bowser was angry that she had pulled his hair, but he soon discovered that he had some power in this playpen; that is, he could make the princess laugh by hurting himself. He spent the rest of the afternoon making Baby Peach spontaneously burst into fits of laughter by dropping blocks and other toys on himself.

When he had finally tired himself of that game, he sat bored, once again. This time, the princess crawled up and forcibly stuffed her used lollipop in Bowser's mouth and hugged him as one might embrace a large stuffed animal. Bowser nearly melted with the sweetness of it all. The candy was one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted and since his mom had passed away, hardly anybody took the time to hug him and he had very few playmates that Kamek did not hire primarily as living sacrifices to his destructive play practices. He still loved to be mean, but this was okay too, if only occasionally.

Peach wanted to ask what the point of this video was supposed to be. Were they going to tell her that because she gave their king a lollipop when she was a baby that they were obviously "meant to be" and belonged together?

Kamek noticed the princess getting fidgety and urged Kitty to fast-forward to the important bit. He knew he must not lose the princess' attention. As the video skipped past various adventures between the young royals, Kamek narrated. "As you can see, His Highness and yourself became fast friends and enjoyed many afternoons together. The young prince even went so far as trying to kidnap you, with some interesting results. Fixing the space-time continuum after that ordeal was...tricky. In any case, I am sure this may come as something of a surprise to you. Our purpose tonight, is to show you where it all went wrong."

The film slowed to a normal pace as the screen showed Peach, who appeared to be just a little younger than school age. She stood in a simple pink dress, impeccably groomed with sweet little bows in her hair and a wide-eyed expression as she talked with her good friend Bowser.

The Koopa certainly seemed excited to tell her something. While he was reasonably older than she was, Peach seemed relatively smart and mature for her age. Coupled with Bowser's immaturity and lack of other viable playmates, the age disparity mattered less than it otherwise might.

"Peach, listen! Do you know what 'arranged marriage' is?"

The blond child shook her head and waited for him to tell her, as she knew he always would.

"I've been spying on Kamek again with my super awesome sneaky parasol toy. He said arranged marriage is when you have a wedding with me and come live at my castle."

Peach looked at him, somewhat puzzled.

"Isn't that great? One day, we're going to get married, then I'll be the king and you can be the queen and we'll rule the kingdom!"

Peach shook her head violently. "No, you're wrong; I'm going to marry a prince, not you."

Taken aback, he responded, "I _am_ a prince, well, I'm really the king, that's even better! Don't you want to come live at my castle?"

Peach was indignant, "You're not a real prince; you're too bumpy and spiky. Grandma says I'm going to marry a real prince, so we can't have a wedding, we don't even have any cake."

"I—I am a real prince!" he yelled. "It doesn't matter; you have to marry me, that's what Kamek said so just…get used to it!"

Peach's eyes started to well with tears. She was supposed to marry a real prince; it was not fair. She did not want to have a wedding with Bowser and live in his castle. She wanted to live in her castle with her Grandma, Toadsworth, and all of her toys. She had made up her mind; she would not marry Bowser. She ran screaming into the room in which all of the Mushroom and Darklandian officials were going over their agreements, documents, and strategies.

"I won't! I won't, I won't, I won't!" she screamed, almost unintelligibly.

"You won't what, Poppet?" Toadsworth asked, trying to soothe the princess in this embarrassing scene.

"Bowser said that I had to have a wedding with him and live at his castle forever and I won't! Never ever!"

Peach continued to howl while the Mushroom retainers worked fruitlessly to assure her that there would be no weddings any time soon. The Darklandian officials stood around nervously; the news about the arranged marriage was not supposed to reach the children until a much later time when they would be better equipped to handle the information, and perhaps more enthusiastic.

At last, the king himself cradled his young daughter in his arms. Her nonsensical babble about "real princes" and what was "fair" barely reached his ears. His only daughter was obviously very upset about the proposition, and though she was not yet old enough to understand it. His heart went out to her; she looked so much like her departed mother, he could not bring himself to do a single thing against her wishes. When the princess had been comforted and sent on her way, the king advised the Darklandian council that there would be no further talk of any arranged marriages, now or in the future.

Bowser and the robotic Paracamera that followed him had seen the entire scene from behind a corner. As Kamek and Bowser journeyed home in the Koopa Cruiser, Bowser muttered darkly, "Do we still need them?"

"The Mushroom Kingdom's wealth is a great asset to have backing the Darklands, but they are not vital; why do you ask, My Lord?"

"Because, as king, I forbid you from ever going to that place ever again. You will never take me back to see that spoiled brat of a princess."

"Sire, she is but a child…"

"Shut up, Kamek! What I say goes."

Kamek nodded sadly and reached to disable the Paracamera.


	25. Resolution Sans Relief

**A/N: Well, I'm in the midst of a little computer emergency so things might be slow(er) for a couple of days. Uh, don't play with anything called BIOS, even if you know what you're doing. There is a good chance that my Bloopbook is no more, but all the data is safe, so no worries. So today I'm learning how to use the boyfriend's Mac, oh yay. **

**I went though the story last night and I found all sorts of grammar and spelling errors. Minor stuff, but I am displeased nonetheless; nobody told me! I'll be editing for a little while, cleaning stuff up, and all that. In the meantime, enjoy this offering, which I hopefully edited properly. x_x

* * *

**

Mario cracked his knuckles as he neared the Darklandian Castle prepared once again to do battle. He walked to the castle gates stomping Goombas, kicking Koopa Troopas, flouting Magikoopas, and outwitting Thwomps.

In his mind, finding his way through the maze-like castle was much more difficult than taking care of Bowser's troops. For some reason, even elite Koopatrols fell under Mario's might. However, compared to searching a jungle for Pauline, searching any castle, no matter how large, would be relatively simple.

Thinking of his sweet fiancée, he looked at his watch. He had been awake for fourteen hours; if he did not hurry and find Princess Peach, he would miss Pauline's show. He was already going to be late as it was.

After nearly an hour of searching, Mario had finally managed to orient himself and find the passageway to Bowser's chamber.

Naturally, Bowser had plenty of forewarning that the plumber had arrived and had been meddling in his castle. He sat evilly upon his throne, eyes blazing with only a few torches lit around the room. He had seriously thought about killing the plumber, but what would be the point? Peach had made her decision and forcing her to "change her mind" would never bring about the kind of good times they had enjoyed in the past. That reality was over and the new reality came crashing through the door as Mario's foot.

Mario assumed his battle stance, ready to dodge Bowser's fire. Bowser merely shook his head. "Not today, Plumber. Probably not ever again," he rasped with bitterness in his voice. "I just wanted you to come up here to say congratulations, I heard the _good news._ Well, the princess is in the same room as always, I'm honestly not even sure why you bother coming in this room. I won't stop you if you try to take her; you've got to be with your fiancée. Better hurry now, before I change my mind."

Mario looked at Bowser suspiciously, unsure if this was a trap or not. Could Bowser really know about him and Pauline? Did he really go all the way to the effort of kidnapping Peach to lure him to the castle so he could say congratulations? _Poor Princess Peach, Bowser obviously has no idea how upset Peach gets when she's taken, or maybe he doesn't care; he's an odd one._

Mario turned to Bowser, straightened up, and said, "Thanks." He dashed downstairs with a meaningful smile to find the princess so he could get back to catch the end of Pauline's performance.

* * *

During intermission, Pauline scanned the audience once again. She found the special seat she had reserved for Mario was still empty, and her heart sunk. This was her once-in-a-lifetime, career-making show and her new fiancé was missing it to rescue some other woman.

Ever since she noticed Mario was not watching her in the audience, she had began faltering on her lines a bit and made a few careless, minor mistakes. Any mistake she made gave Madame Flurrie an excuse to throw her a smug look from offstage, making her feel even worse.

When Flurrie found out about Pauline's engagement, she was horribly offended. After all, what was the attractive hero of the Mushroom Kingdom thinking marrying some talentless tramp like Pauline? Flurrie noticed Pauline looking wistfully at Mario's empty seat and decided to take action.

"Oh darling, don't you worry, your little hunk of a fiancé will show up eventually. Believe me, he's _very_ dependable. In fact, he's so dependable that he will _always_ be there, for _anybody_ who is in need. I guess it's just his nature, but don't worry about people taking advantage of him. I know most people are _more than willing_ to give him some kind of _little reward_ for his efforts. I mean I know I did."

Pauline gasped as Flurrie flounced off. She could not help but think about what Flurrie said. She tried very hard not to be offended by Flurrie's insinuations about "little rewards." She trusted Mario enough not to make foolish decisions. What really bothered her was the part about Mario always being able and willing to help anybody who might be in need at any time. She was not sure if she could really tolerate being married to a man who was always off on adventures helping other people. If tonight were any indication, Mario would place their relationship on the back burner while he was off adventuring.

Pauline thought about it all throughout intermission, she thought about it during the remainder of her performance, and she thought about it as she once again spied Mario's empty seat during the curtain call of her show. In the dressing room, as she removed her stage makeup and costume, she slid her engagement ring off her finger. She thought about it, and made her decision.

* * *

Bowser tossed and turned on his bed. All he could think about was the princess. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to hate her; even more than that, he wanted to forget about her. All he could do was wallow in his loneliness.

He was just grateful that Kamek and Kammy had the foresight to send the Koopalings to the movies today so they would not get involved in any fighting. How was he going to tell the Koopalings that Mama Peach was getting married to Mario and that they would probably never see her again? It just was not fair.

He thought about all the time they had been together in the last year, all the memories in his book. He thought about all the different times he had kidnapped her, the months of scheming, elaborate plans, and thousands of coins he spent just so he could have a few days to talk with her. She was worth everything to him, and he felt he was worth nothing to her.

He could remember the first time he had brought her to his castle. He had just ascended the throne and was traveling the world exacting his revenge. He had burnt cities into smoldering ash, decapitated leaders, and pillaged countless treasuries. Using the funds, he built ever-mightier armies and ignored his ailing citizens in the Darklands. He was proud, bloodthirsty, and in the prime of his reckless youth.

After another successful military campaign, he had heard one of the dying soldiers lamenting about his children in the Mushroom Kingdom. Upon hearing the name, Bowser remembered the fateful day in his childhood when Princess Toadstool spurned his proposal for an arranged marriage.

He narrowed his eyes and called his troops to attention. He informed them that instead of taking their scheduled route to the Eastern island kingdom of Sarasa, they would be making a detour to see the soldier's children in the Mushroom Kingdom.

"After all," he added coldly, "somebody needs to tell them that their father's game has ended."

The next morning, the marauding troops advanced on the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser rubbed his hands in glee, not at the prospect of obtaining the wealth of the Mushroom Kingdom, but at the idea of finally having revenge for his lost dignity.

As his airships darkened the Mushroom sky, he looked down and spied a ceremony. As luck would have it, it was the princess' debut, her coming out party. As he watched the princess try to get away in her silky white gown, he thought of an even more malicious idea. He commanded his troops to seize the princess, and added that she must remain alive.

He was going to hold the king's only daughter for a very high ransom on her special day. If they did not pay, there was no telling what might happen to the little bitch, and if they did pay, then they would get the very high honor of watching him murder their little sunshine.

Several brave Mushrooms died trying to defend the princess, but at last, the Darklandian armies had her in their grasp and they took her back to the castle where they promptly locked her in a cold cell with minimal comforts.

The most distinct memory he had was when he had come into the cell to check on her. The Mushroom Royals had agreed to pay the ransom, and Bowser had been thinking all day, trying to come up with the best and most brutal style of execution for a young lady of her status. He had even thought, disgustingly, what a shame it was that she should have to die before ever knowing the touch of a male.

As he descended the steps in the dungeon, he smelled a familiar scent that froze and haunted him. The fragrance of watermelon candy reawakened an unfamiliar longing in him and he stomped over to the princess' cell with a frown across his face. He looked her over briefly. He was not accustomed to seeing humans; however, he was used to her pathetic expression of fear. From the looks of it, she had colored her hair some ungainly reddish shade, she was pale, and had not filled out entirely. Still, he found her strangely attractive.

"Give me whatever is making that watermelon smell!" he demanded roughly.

The princess looked shocked, it seemed like she was not even sure he would be able to speak her language. She shook her head in fear and stammered, "Th-There's none left. I gave the last piece to him…" she pointed to a nearby Koopatrol. "He said he hadn't eaten in days…"

Bowser glowered at the Koopatrol. Not only did he take the last piece of candy but he also made Bowser's leadership look bad by whining to and receiving pity from a prisoner.

The smell of watermelon began to overpower the Koopa King as he stared into the scared eyes of his captive, which shined back in fear and pleading.

He quickly turned heel to retreat up the stairs after experiencing a few feelings he did not wish to remember. He contacted the Mushroom Kingdom and quickly reset the ransom to something the Mushrooms could never afford to pay. He did not know what he was going to do with the princess, but he knew he was not ready to have her leave.

Curiously, after Mario rescued the princess for the first time, Bowser did not pursue revenge. First, he spent days trying to find the source of Peach's watermelon candies. When he finally uncovered the manufacturer, he ordered several bags and stuffed himself with small pink bonbons. He was upset to find that the candies did not have any magical power to make him feel better about his situation, and the smell of watermelon instead made him feel lonelier than ever.

After that revelation, he decided to spend a long time focusing on his kingdom. Instead of gaining more military power, he poured his gains into having a kingdom worth ruling. Obviously, if one fat plumber could do so much damage to his troops, he needed to work on better agricultural and nutritional standards.

Current-day Bowser placed his head in his claws and groaned. Back then, he had built up his kingdom, stocked his treasuries, and created seven awesome kids in his loneliness. Finally, he had found out that the only way to cure his ailment was to see her again. Bowser could remember how surprised he was when, instead of the finding the scrawny preteen he had captured the last time, he found himself face to face with a beautiful, yet terrified young woman.

He had sent his children in heavily armored airships to wreak havoc on unsuspecting neighboring kings and chancellors; the idea being that the ensuing chaos would thwart or delay any rescue attempt. Though far from the ruthless bloodthirsty tyrant he had once been, Bowser still aligned himself with a lineage of evil kings and had no problem causing mass destruction to suit his needs. In this case, he needed to satisfy his own curiosity about his emerging feelings regarding the beautiful princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

_Countless months of planning, hundreds of thousands of coins spent...all for nothing. How could I have been so stupid? _As much as Bowser was currently mentally berating himself for his lack of foresight and general foolishness in matters of the heart, there was one thought in the corner of his mind that made everything so much worse: if given the option, he'd do it all again.

* * *

The batter for the cake was white, frothy, and smelled heavenly. Peach carefully read the cookbook, although she had made angel food cake, Mario's favorite, so many times she felt she most surely knew the entire recipe by heart. She was so distracted, she felt sure she would make a silly mistake like use salt instead of sugar or accidentally drop dishwashing liquid in the batter. Mario was away, taking a hot shower to remove the sweat and grime form his latest adventure. As usual, Peach put herself in charge of his hero's welcome, but this time she had so many questions to ask him.

Bowser and all of his minions seemed convinced that, somehow, she had agreed to marry Mario. _Bowser…_ When Peach first thought about Bowser and his surprising confession, she felt butterflies in her stomach, but when she remembered the circumstance she was in and his angry words, she felt like someone had shot her butterflies down with blow darts. _How dare he? _She wanted to be angry and outraged with him, but she could not escape the fact that she knew why he said what he did. She just knew it.

The cake was in the oven by the time Mario came into the kitchen area, his hair and skin still damp. Peach smiled at Mario and bid him to sit down; each was too distracted to notice the other's distractedness. Peach took a deep breath and sighed; she knew it was time to get some answers.

"Mario, something strange happened to me while I was at Bowser's Castle."

The plumber in red perked up, obviously concerned about his fair friend's safety and well-being.

"Nothing…bad... Well actually, it wasn't good at all, but that's beside the point. Listen, Bowser and his minions were utterly convinced that…you and I had agreed to marry."

Mario sat with a stunned expression on his face. He realized he was going to have to tell the princess about his engagement to Pauline, but he had never expected it to be so soon. Now that Bowser had put all of these false thoughts into Peach's head, Mario worried about disappointing his close friend who, in his mind, was obviously in love with him.

Mistaking his shocked face, Peach babbled nervously. "I'm sorry, I'm sure that sounds very odd; I'm sure it's something I ought not to have asked, I'm sorry."

Mario shook his head, took Peach's hand in his, and looked at her sheepishly. _Oh Stars, is this it? Is this where he's going to propose to me, in my kitchen? Oh no, what am I going to say?_

Mario looked Peach in the eyes for a long while and began apologizing profusely. In between apologies, he spewed almost every confession he had to make; he told Peach about his long-term relationship with Pauline, the lies he had told his mother, and his recent proposal. He apologized for disappointing her and assured her that he thought she was a very wonderful and beautiful girl and the fact that he did not propose to her had absolutely nothing to do with any aspect of her appearance or personality.

Taken aback by the outburst and barrage of speech by a normally quiet man, Peach withdrew her hand from Mario's, eliciting another string of apologies from the plumber. Peach could not believe it; Mario was getting married! She placed her face inside her gloved hands in disbelief and began to shake with laughter. She grasped both of Mario's hands in hers and let out a ringing laugh of incredulous disbelief.

"What a wild misunderstanding! This whole time you were worried that I was secretly in love with you, I thought you were secretly interested in me!" Peach proceeded to tell Mario about New Year's Eve, the time she had overheard the Merluvlee give Mario's fortune. At the end of her story, both parties were laughing uncontrollably in relief.

"Please don't misunderstand, of course I think you're a wonderful and noble man, but that is why I am so very happy for you that you have found somebody special with which to share your life."

Mario nodded enthusiastically while accepting a piece of cake from the smiling princess.

"Because of that, I would like to offer the Mushroom Kingdom's finest to both you and your fiancée. If you wish, you are welcome to have use of the castle gardens for your wedding and, as the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, we would be honored to provide anything you and your bride-to-be might wish for your wedding."

The princess' kindness and generosity never ceased to amaze Mario, who nodded in agreement and appreciation. As he discussed options regarding the ceremony, he gasped as he realized he had not yet told Mama the good news. Peach bid Mario good luck as he excused himself to make his important and potentially disastrous phone call.

While Mario was gone, Peach sighed and placed the used dished in the kitchen sink. It was true that she was legitimately happy for Mario and Pauline, but a small part of her was a bit disappointed. She had been a little excited to think Mario might be considering her for marriage. She told herself that it was selfish to worry about her own love life on such a joyous occasion but, as she traced imaginary circles into the tablecloth with her finger, she could not help be realize that with this marriage, one of the very few men with which she was close would be effectively "off the market".

In fact, the only living creature who had ever admitted a romantic attraction to her was Bowser and, presumably, was now very upset with her, to say the least. What if Bowser decided to attack again? Would the Mushroom Kingdom's hero still have time to come to her aid if he were married? What about if he decided to have kids? The thought of Mario being a father was just too weird and different for Peach even to consider, yet, she knew it was a consideration. _Oh Stars, what am I going to do?_

Mario waited anxiously with a huge smile on his face as the phone rang. He just had to call Pauline. The phone call with Mama had gone even better than expected. At first, she had wanted to know "what happened to Princess Peach?" However, by the end of the conversation, Mama happily proclaimed that she did not care _who _Mario married so long as he was happy and she was as sweet of a girl as Pauline or Peach was.

Mario could not wait to tell Pauline about his Mama's approval and Peach's generous offer to host their wedding. Pauline looked down at her phone, saw it was Mario, and heaved a great sigh.

Picking up the phone she answered, "Hello?" and was instantly treated to an onslaught of words. She had never heard Mario so excited about anything in his whole life, except maybe "Free Pasta Tuesdays" at their favorite childhood diner. She looked guiltily at the bare spot on her left hand where her engagement ring had once been.

As Mario continued talking, she pulled her engagement ring from her bag and examined it. A beautiful diamond gleamed at her, round cut, perfectly clear and brilliant. _It must have cost a fortune. _What he was saying about an enormous beautiful wedding at the Mushroom Castle did sound exciting. After all, she had never considered her wedding would be anything greater than a small affair in a Marrymore chapel. _Maybe I was too quick to let Flurrie get to me, what does she know anyway? _Pauline smiled into the phone and told Mario how wonderful everything sounded. She placed her engagement ring back on her finger after she hung up. Maybe she could do this after all.


	26. Things Broken & Barriers Built

**A/N: Wow, we're getting so close to the end of the story, I can almost taste it! There may be one or two more chapters after this one, but I don't foresee any more than that! You guys have been so terrific; thank you for all of your reviews! **

**Also, thanks to those that voted in my little poll. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of a Bowser and Peach adventure story, which would be another long one like this. If you have any suggestions regarding unique worlds for Bowser and Peach to visit or anything else you'd want to see, let me know right away, as I'm compiling ideas and writing my outline very soon. ****I may start up my collection of 100 oneshots at the same time though, because writing a oneshot is a lot easier than writing a chapter when your schedule is packed to the gills with school and other life stuff.**

**Thanks again everyone and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Kamek banged on the door of Bowser's private study. "Uh, sire! There is important news, can I come in?"

Bowser narrowed his eyes at the noise and shouted, "Come in."

Kamek bounded into the room, full of energy and twittering with nervousness. "So, My Lord, I seem to have forgotten the address of the Mushroom Castle, you know, when you get old you forget stuff. It happens. So, um, can you give me the address? Please?"

Bowser heaved a great sigh and looked into his youngest son's eyes; those sapphire eyes were at once the first and last things he wanted to see right now. Junior was not exactly a master of disguise; sure, the figure looked like Kamek, but Junior just did not have the mental sophistication to sound like Kamek or the patience to act like Kamek.

"Kamek," he started with a sneer in his voice, "come over here. I know just what you're talking about when you mention getting older. Is your vision getting blurry too?"

Moving closer, Junior replied, "Oh yes, that's why I wear these big, thick glasses all the time, otherwise I'd be blind."

"A little closer if you please Kamek. You know how when you get old it gets harder to hear things?"

"Oh of course," Junior replied, taking another step forward, "it's all this dang hair in my ears, if I just had the time to pluck it all out, I could hear all the nasty things the Koopalings say behind my back. Then I could punish 'em real good."

"Kamek, pray tell, for what do you need the address to the Mushroom Castle?"

"Oh, um…routine…spy search…"

"Hm, well never mind that, I've found it, here on my desk. Come closer so I can read it to you, it's hard to yell across a room. You know how in your old age you get those dust balls in your throat every morning?"

Junior eagerly hopped over to the desk, "Oh ye—" His eyes widened in realization and fear. _King Dad never has any trouble yelling across any room! _

Bowser latched on to his son's arm, "Gotcha, you little nightmare!" He pulled down Junior's invisible bandana, effectively shattering Junior's illusion as the Koopaling futilely squirmed in his grasp.

Bowser's nostrils flared in supreme anger. Now that Peach had lied to him and made a fool of him, apparently his whole kingdom and even his own family thought him a laughingstock; nothing more than a naïve, trusting fool. "You lying to me son?"

"N-no, King Dad, it's not like that! You said we couldn't come into your study and we haven't seen you in da— ow ow, you're hurting my arm!"

"Suck it up, champ," he roared. "What are you trying to get the address to the Mushroom Castle for?"

Junior held out a little sheet of parchment and an envelope, "Toadette lives there and I wanted to send her a letter to see if she wants to be pen pals!"

Bowser narrowed his eyes and growled. "Idiot! Don't you know that girls are stupid? If you tell her you want to be her friend, her "pen pal", she'll abuse your feelings. You'll be dedicated to sending her letters while she's off finding someone else to love!"

"That's not true! I know she only plays pretend with herself. She's lonely, King Dad!"

Bowser picked his son up by the shell and shook him hard. He could hardly stand to be in the same room with Junior; his biological mother's genetics and mannerisms manifested themselves in all sorts of unwelcome ways. He was an idiotic optimist and a bleeding heart. "You stupid child! You will send no letters," he screamed. "Do you understand me?"

Tears began to form in Junior's eyes, "But…"

"Stop crying, you pathetic excuse for a Koopa! How could I have raised a son who turned out to be such a crybaby? Get out of here and come back when you have learned to behave like a real Koopa. Come back when you're ready to act like _my son_!"

Junior scampered out of the room, wailing and shedding huge tears, all the while hating himself for crying in front of his father. During the long trip down the stairs and back to his room, he grew angry and indignant. He was a proper Koopa; he was his father's son, and he would prove it.

He took out his sheet of parchment and his favorite green apple scented marker and began drafting his letter to Toadette. When he was finished, he called in a Parakoopa.

"Poco, I need your help on a super secret mission! I have a bet with a friend about how fast a Parakoopa can fly. She doesn't think any Parakoopa can make it to the Mushroom Kingdom an hour or less. You're the fastest Parakoopa I know, so I need you to take this letter to my friend as proof that I'm right and she's wrong."

Poco smiled and stretched his wings. Finally, some recognition! He always knew he was fast, but to hear a member of the royal family had noticed, well, that was a great honor! "Under an hour you say? Don't worry My Lord; you can count on me! Who is this friend in the Mushroom Kingdom and what does she look like?"

"Her name is Toadette, she's got a pink mushroom and some pink hair and she lives in the Mushroom Castle. She's pretty, so don't be getting any ideas."

"Oh, um, of course not, Your Highness. You can count on me! I will make it to the Mushroom Kingdom and I will find this Toadette in the Mushroom Castle!"

Junior took a deep breath and sat on his bed. His father's words about not acting like a proper Koopaling still stung. Even though he had disobeyed in retaliation, he still did not feel like he had proven himself a true Koopaling. Strengthening his resolve, he gathered a few items in a backpack and casually strolled out of the castle, utilizing a few secret passageways to get around the highly guarded areas. Once outside of the castle, he took off running though the forest that separated the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands.

* * *

Peach and Pauline sat side by side, going over wedding details. Peach had once again immersed herself in planning duties in order to forget the emotional turmoil she felt whenever she was alone and undistracted. Planning the wedding of the Mushroom Kingdom's hero also served to give her a break from political lessons and meetings.

"Ciao ladies!" Luigi called, stepping into the room.

"Hi Luigi," returned Peach. "What do you think? Should we go with aqua bridesmaid dresses or more of a periwinkle?"

"Ah, peri-wha? Oh, colors. How about you match them to Pauline's eyes? You know, from back there, you two look like twins! The eyes are the only way to tell you apart!"

The two girls rolled their eyes, it seemed like everyone and their brother had told them how similar they looked to one another; however, when they looked at each other, they felt they looked nothing alike.

Pauline stood up from the table, obviously stressed from the high volume of planning. "Well, that settles it. No offense Princess Peach, but I don't think I can hear that line about twins one more time. I'm going to go to the salon and get all my hair cut off!"

Peach looked at Pauline with a shocked face. Was she really going to make such a radical change right before her wedding?

Pauline smiled knowingly, "I'm only kidding, but I am going to go get it colored back to the preshow color. I'm just not cut out to be a blond bombshell, I have no idea how you do it!"

As Pauline exited the castle, Daisy appeared, exiting a shiny red sports car. "Whoa! Peach, you're looking smoking hot! Did you get a new bra or something; your rack looks amazing!"

Pauline grappled to find the correct words to answer Daisy as the real Peach walked out to greet her boisterous cousin.

"Oh, Peach, there you are. Wait, what's going on here, who's this?"

Finally finding her voice, Pauline answered, "Hi, I'm Pauline, Mario's fiancée."

Daisy's eyes widened comically. _What in the Underwhere is going on here? I leave the Mushroom Kingdom for a few weeks and Mario replaces Peach with another blonde with a bigger chest? What a pig! _"Well, it's very nice to meet you…Pauline."

As Pauline took her leave, Daisy practically dragged Peach back into the castle by her wrist. It was time to figure out what was going on.

Meanwhile, a Parakoopa circled the castle looking for Toadette. He was fifteen minutes early, but knew he could still fall short of his goal if he did not find the Mushroom girl quickly.

* * *

Pauline sat in her salon chair, a nervous wreck. She had never expected all of this to happen so quickly. She looked at herself in the mirror, her hair covered in shining foil. _I hope this coloring doesn't ruin my hair. _

"Excuse me," she called to the salon owner. "Can we add in a deep conditioning treatment? I'm worried my hair will feel like straw after all of this."

The Mushroom girl nodded, flipping her black straightened hair into her eyes. The neon glow of her wild rainbow Mushroom hat was obviously artificial, but at the same time made her look amazing, like a rock star.

"I'm so stressed," she finally sighed to the girl, who was hard at work, filing her fingernails. "Wedding planning is such hard work and I can't shake the feeling that I'm making a mistake."

"Getting married, eh? Yeah, my sister got married last year and she felt the same way. All that planning is a killer. By the time my sister was done with it all, she could barely remember the name of her groom!"

Pauline sighed. What if Mario did not have enough time for her? She knew one day she would like to have a family, but she had no idea how many children she would like. For that matter, she had no idea how many children Mario would like. "I used to know him so well, back when we were younger. Now, I feel the same attraction but, I also feel like I hardly know him at all."

"I know what you mean. Men are strange, they feel like they're starting to get older and they change. My sister's husband used to work the graveyard shift, and she worked in the daytime. They hardly ever saw each other and they were more like roommates than they were like spouses. They hardly ever talked and when they finally did, she felt like he had changed so much that he wasn't even the same man she fell in love with."

"What happened to your sister?"

"Oh, they're divorced now. Turns out he was cheating on her the entire time. The whole graveyard shift thing? A total lie; he was out sleeping around and working maybe four hours a day in the afternoons. What a fungus! After hearing about that, I decided to take a break from dating. It's been a whole year and I've never felt better. I just stick to dealing with girls and men who are interested in men; it's so much easier that way. At least you always know exactly where you stand."

Pauline sighed again. Just thinking about going back to the Mushroom Castle for more wedding planning was enough to make swearing off men very tempting. Pauline imagined herself running away to an island to live with a tribe of strong, beautiful women who never thought about men. "I think I like men too much to do that."

"Oh, I know what you mean, it's not easy. I mean, sometimes this cute little accountant guy comes by the salon to get his eyebrows done. He always looks so embarrassed in his little suit and tie; I know he works at the downtown office of PriceWigglerhouseKoopas, he's adorable."

The Mushroom girl offered a few shades of polish from Pauline to choose. Pauline opted for a red crushed glitter, something to boost her confidence while she felt so low. "There are so many good men out there," said the salon owner, "maybe you shouldn't be so eager to limit yourself to just one. You're still young, after all. You only get one life and, let's face it, once you're married, a certain part of that life is over!"

Pauline considered what the salon owner was saying and knew she was right. How could she, in good faith, marry Mario when she was having doubts? It was her only life, after all, and Mario's life for that matter. It would not be fair to him. "You're right…I'm going to call him. You're absolutely right, I can't do this."

"Well, why don't you think about it a little more? I think your hair should be done processing now, so let's get these foils out and when we're done here you can make your decision."

* * *

The next morning, Peach arose from another sleepless night. Looking into the mirror, she was displeased to find dark circles under her eyes. She took a drink from the water bottle on her nightstand and put her special cucumber extract vanishing cream on her eyes to brighten them a little.

Today, she was going to meet with Pauline, Mario and Tace T. to discuss the wedding cake. She looked sullenly at the blue dress hanging in her wardrobe. As soon as Pauline declared her the maid of honor, the fastest tailors in the kingdom had worked to construct a beautiful bridesmaid's dress. It was not as though she did not wish to be the maid of honor; however, she had conflicting feelings about being a bridesmaid at Mario's wedding.

As Peach arrived at the crowded bakery, she spotted Mario standing outside, alone and bleary-eyed.

"Hello Mario! Where's Pauline?"

Mario shook his head sadly and solicited a hug from Peach. He showed her a message on his mailbox SP to answer her question.

"Oh my Stars, Mario, I am so, so sorry! She just sent you an e-mail and skipped town? This is horrible!"

Mario gave Peach a feeble look. He felt as if his heart were shattering and it was hard to hear Peach repeat the details of his misfortune.

"I'm so sorry Mario. I don't know what we'll do now."

"Excuse me sweetie," Tace T. approached Peach and Mario sympathetically. "I couldn't help but overhear. Oh Mario, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation."

"Thank you, Tace. I suppose we won't need your services after all, what a shame. In fact, I have no idea what we will do with all of the things we already ordered. Most of it can't be sent back; this is all very inconvenient."

"I understand, but I actually may have a solution to your problem. I know a couple, Raz and Rani, who are looking to hold a ceremony to rededicate their vows. They don't have a lot of money, but I'm sure they could at least partially reimburse you. Their love is so true; I know they would be happy with whatever you might provide.

"Raz and Rani? Mario, isn't that the couple who's wedding was ruined because of Booster in Marrymore?"

Mario shook his head affirmatively.

"Why, those two deserve a proper ceremony. When you see them again, please tell them that the Mushroom Castle will host their ceremony, free of charge."

"I will do that! Thank you so much, Princess, you are incredibly generous. Again, Mario, I am so sorry for what happened. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

* * *

Daisy wandered about the Mushroom Castle's halls aimlessly. Luigi had gone to take Mario for a "Guys Night Out" and Peach had kept herself in a perpetual flurry with details of the ceremony and her regularly scheduled political meetings.

_Those boys better not get into any monkey business on their little "guys night". Mario might be single now, but Luigi is a taken man. _In her boredom, Daisy began to wonder if Luigi would take Mario to any…unsavory places.

She did not like the idea of Luigi looking at other girls in that way; not because she was insecure, but because she felt the whole process was inherently desensitizing and degrading. _If looking at just me isn't good enough for him, then it's his loss! _

Furthermore, the thought of two brothers going to a place to be mutually aroused by undulating women as a "bonding experience" seemed, to her, inherently incestuous. In any case, she hoped Luigi would have the good sense to know such an act would offend her.

In her musings, she caught sight of a partially opened door. The room was completely empty except for Toadette, who had her back turned to the door while happily grasping some parchment.

"Hey Toadette!"

The sudden voice startled the young Mushroom, who instantly leaped to her feet and refolded her letter.

"What's up? What's that paper?"

"N-Nothing much; it's nothing, just a note from…my cousin," she stuttered. "Actually, I should be going, I think my break's over and I'm supposed to be helping the gardeners rake the courtyard. Um, gotta go; see ya!"

Daisy watched in confusion as Toadette edged by her and scampered down the hallway. _That was weird. _As Daisy continued her lackadaisical self-guided tour of the Mushroom Castle, she could not shake the suspicion that there were a lot of things going on about which she was not informed.

Meanwhile, satisfied that she had found a safe place in the garden where she would not be bothered, Toadette settled in and reread her letter.

_Dear Toadette,_

_I am writing this letter because I wanted to know if you want to be my pen pal. Please say yes. I am home for the summer but I don't get play with King Dad because he is in his room all day long and won't let us come in. Everyone is sad about it and thinks maybe King Dad is sick. I am learning how to make milkshakes. Do you like milkshakes? Circle one: yes or no. If yes, then you should come over to my castle and I will make one for you, they are really good and I can make chocolate and vanilla. Okay, that is all I have to say in this letter. Now you write one back, that's how it works._

_-Bowser Junior_

_P.S. King Dad says that I should tell you that you are my girlfriend so that you don't get confused. Do you think it's allowed for you to be my girlfriend and my friend too? I would like that very much.  
_

Toadette clutched the paper to her chest and sighed. Sure, the letter was goofy and the penmanship was less than elegant but she had never been anyone's girlfriend before. _Does that mean that my boyfriend is a prince? _Toadette giggled at the thought of the word "boyfriend". Perhaps she was more like a princess than she had previously thought.

* * *

Peach buried her head in her hands. She wanted to scream. Sanctions, threats of embargo, and exorbitant tariffs were the topics of the latest Mushroom Political meeting.

_How could Bowser do this to us? _The favorable trade agreements made earlier in the year had caused many Mushrooms to open shop or otherwise become dependent on the Darklandian economy. The Darklands was a wealthy nation with many potential customers for Mushroom firms. Furthermore, it was the leading global producer of various minerals, including most of those used for construction purposes.

Peach rubbed her eyes as she imagined what a political and economic stir these acts would cause. For all the fledgling businesses that would inevitably suffer and go out of business, there could be riots in the streets!

"This is just the way the Darklandians have always been milady," said an economic adviser softly. "They lure you in with false promises of prosperity, use your kingdom's resources for their own ends, and just when you feel you can trust them, they begin shutting you down and making ultimatums. They'll cooperate as long as they're getting what they want out of a situation; but eventually it gets to be too much for any country, no matter how wealthy, and then the agreement is over and the leaders are left to pick up and salvage the broken mess that's left behind."

Peach sighed heavily; it sounded a whole lot like her personal relationship with Bowser. _He was always nice so long as he was getting what he wanted from me. Now that he isn't, he's back to his old ways, but even worse._

When Peach had learned that Mario intended to marry Pauline, she had thought about informing Bowser somehow. However, her pride and hurt feelings had gotten in the way of contacting him. How could she possibly know what to say to an angry Koopa King who was purportedly in love with her? Now, she had resigned herself; she would not attempt to contact him. She was angry with him and his destructive and childish attempt at revenge. She rationalized that her love life was still none of his business and that if he was going to be so juvenile about the situation, he had no right to know. _Let him be worried; he seems to have no problem worrying me. This isn't love; this is blackmail._

However, more than being angry, she was very sad. She had truly hoped that the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands could finally operate peacefully with one another. Most of all, she felt almost heartbroken that Bowser would abuse her, her kingdom, and her people thusly; all because of a misunderstanding. She trusted him, and now that times were rough, the void left by his absent support was big enough to consume Peach's heart.

Bowser himself had little or no interest in politics these days, but had enough motivation to sign as many non-agreements with the Mushroom Kingdom as possible; the essential idea being that he wished to do everything in his power to increase the pressure on the new "King Mario" and his queen in hopes that the stress might drive them apart. It was a long shot and more than a little underhanded but, feeling backed into a corner, Bowser felt that was all he had left.


	27. New Beginnings

**A/N: And now, the thrilling (I hope) conclusion to YotW. I really hope you've all enjoyed the story and thank you all so so much for your continued support and dedication. This is the longest chapter by a fair margin and hopefully it answers everything and ties up all those loose ends. I've already written the prologue to my next story, so please keep an eye out for it in the coming weeks! Thanks again for all the support. Please enjoy!

* * *

**

On the early morning of the ceremony, Toadette was busy helping set the tables in the reception area of the courtyard. It was sunny, warm, and just slightly breezy. It was a perfect day for an outdoor event.

In her usual reverie, Toadette gently set plates on the tables, however, this time she was pretending to be a different sort of princess.

_Oh Princess Toadette, what a lovely charity event! Is it true that you plan to feed 300 underprivileged children?_

"Oh yes, I am going to have a grand afternoon tea party for over 300 poor and sick children who might not otherwise get a chance to go to a tea party."

_Will Prince Bowser be at your tea party sitting next to you?_

"Of course he will. He loves children, so he's going to bring cotton candy for everyone, just like he did for me when I was an underprivileged child." Toadette was so engrossed in her game of pretend that she did not notice the rumbling sounds in the bushes beside her.

Junior had finally found his way though the forest, though it had taken him much longer than anticipated. He had the foresight and good judgment to sneak around to the backside of the castle; however, he had not anticipated finding Toadette so quickly. He was dirty, starving, and incredibly thirsty; still, he stopped to watch Toadette. He wondered if she had any idea how insane she looked, talking to herself like that while dancing around.

After a short time, when he was sure no one was around to see, Junior leaped out of the bushes and called, "Princess Toadette, I'm a poor child. I'm really thirsty and hungry; will you feed me?"

Toadette's felt her heart jump into her throat; she had no idea anyone had been watching her. Her first instinct was to feel defensive about the violation of her personal space and privacy; however, when she realized the implications of Junior tumbling out of the bushes of the Mushroom Castle looking as if he had traveled to the Underwhere and back, she immediately jumped to action.

"Oh my Stars, Junior, what are you doing here?"

Junior could not think of a good explanation beyond the desires to see Toadette and prove his lineage via disobedience, so he merely smiled and shrugged.

"Well, whatever, let's get you inside; there's tons of food and you can clean up if you want."

Junior trudged behind Toadette; he was tired, but very happy to see her and excited to see more of the inside of Mama Peach's castle.

* * *

Pauline took a deep breath as the Toad Town train took her far away to one of Whacka's world-famous spa retreats. The little blue creature had discovered, after numerous blows to the head, that his very essence was healing and purifying. He liked to attribute these mysterious healing properties to the power of positive thinking. He found if he applied physical care with positive thoughts, he could keep himself healthy enough to withstand those who might attempt to exploit his resource. Since this discovery, he opened up numerous retreats in remote locations to educate people on withstanding the hard times in their lives, as well as make a hefty profit on spa services.

Pauline looked out the window with her feet curled under her. She could not decide if she had done the wrong thing. She still loved Mario, but she knew she was not ready to get married just yet. _I'm sure he'll understand. I love adventure almost as much as he does, that's part of why we get along so well. _Pauline took a sip of her sparkling diet soda and mentally reprimanded herself. She had got to stop drinking that stuff. _Perhaps I will write him a postcard and let him know that I am grateful for his love, but I will have to complete the adventure of being single before I can embark on the adventure of being married. Yeah, that sounds right._

When the train stopped, Pauline exited to the dusty Mount Rugged. She would have liked to go to the island retreat in Keelhaul Key, but such an action would have required several days travel, hotel accommodations, and other inconveniences. Now that Pauline was here, she was glad she chose the Mount Rugged location.

Whacka popped out of the ground to greet her with a loud, "Whacka-do! You must be Pauline; I'm Whacka, pleased to meet you. Your first challenge is to grab your luggage and go on a short nature hike towards the spa. Don't be alarmed; the mountain is beautiful! If at any point you get too hot or tired, we have a cart that can take you the rest of the way, but we really do encourage you to try your hardest! Have a super day!"

Pauline looked at her heavy bag, then looked back at the mountain. She gritted her teeth and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. She was not about to quit on any more adventures.

* * *

Bowser sat with his large head in his hands, his claws combing through his shaggy hair. Today was the day of the wedding and he could do nothing. He had tried being angry at Peach, he had tried sulking at Mario, and he had tried to use political influence; nothing worked.

Now, he was at the base level of going on rampages; he would break things and generally mistreat everyone and everything in the castle. Bowser had jailed Kamek for insubordination when the Magikoopa attempted to intervene and put an end to the most recent rampage in the hangar.

Kammy appeared by his side, worried that she too might find herself in the dungeons if she were to say the wrong thing; however, she had important news. "Your Nastiness, it is my displeasure to report that Bowser Junior is still missing. We have scoured the entire castle and surrounding grounds. Furthermore, our magic can't detect that he is anywhere in the kingdom."

Bowser scrunched his face in displeasure. _Disobedient brat, when I get my hands on him, he's in a world of hurt. _"I know where he went," he growled menacingly.

"You do, My Lord?"

Bowser responded by standing up and stomping down to the hangar. He felt such intense loneliness; would everyone he had ever loved eventually abandon him? The feelings gave rise to another bout of acute anger. He was going to put a stop to this; he would collect his brat, recapture his queen, and roast anyone who got in his way. He knew he could not live like this, constantly tormented with feelings of abandonment and the thought of Peach in love with another.

"Your Highness!" squeaked a green-shelled Koopa engineer. "Our apologies but the Clown Car is not yet ready for use!"

"What?" he bellowed. "Why the hell not?"

"B-because Sire, you…"

"Because you destroyed it," Kammy snapped.

Bowser growled in frustration and anger. Why was everybody always against him?

"Fine! Forget it, you people are as useless as ever. I'll go on foot and I'll stop this wedding even if I have to tear down every tree in the forest." With that, Bowser turned on his heel and stomped toward the exit of the palace.

Kammy bowed her head and muttered, "Good luck, Lord Bowser."

* * *

"Can I have another cake?" Junior propped himself against a vanity to see what Toadette was doing with her hair.

"No, we're all out. I can get more later, but right now I have to get ready."

"Get ready for what?"

"There's going to be a ceremony and I'm dressing up because I have to serve drinks."

"Oh," Junior said glumly. He had forgotten that Toadette was just a servant girl. Junior's eyes widened as he remembered the other reason why he came to the Mushroom Castle. "Oh no, Toadette, Kamek told me that Mama Peach was getting married! She can't get married because she's my Mama!"

Toadette frowned in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about. Princess Peach isn't getting married; I thought she loves your dad."

Junior smiled with hopefulness and relief, "Do you really think so?"

Toadette smiled back, "Yep, I do. She always says nice things about your dad and the Darklands. Lately though, she's been very sad. Maybe your dad will come over and cheer her up like he always does."

Junior shook his head; he did not want to talk about his dad. He was probably in really big trouble when he got home. "So, can I serve drinks too?"

Toadette looked over the Koopaling, noting his menacing appearance and spiked shell. "Uh, I don't think that would be such a good idea. Okay, how do I look?" Toadette twirled around in her pretty blue dress, which was decorated with pink roses and blue ribbons.

Junior replied, "You don't look very much like a servant; you look like _you_ are getting married."

"Nuh-uh, brides always wear white, that's how you know that she's the bride."

"That's dumb."

Toadette rolled her eyes and resumed chatting with the happy Koopaling.

Meanwhile, Daisy heard voices as she walked down the corridor to move some floral arrangements. Curious, she set down the floral arrangements and walked towards the noise. _Is Toadette talking to herself again? She's such a strange cookie; I wonder if it's because of what happened to her parents._

Daisy noiselessly opened the door to find Toadette peacefully talking with…Bowser Junior?! "What in the world is going on?" Daisy yelled, "What is Bowser Junior doing in here? Did you let him into the castle, Toadette?"

Toadette's eyes widened as she saw the imposing yellow princess in the doorway. Junior might have saved her once, but she did not think he could save her again. "D-Daisy…I…"

Junior piped up, "I was invited to the party so leave us alone you big Daffodil."

Daisy narrowed her eyes. There was no way Raz and Rani would know Bowser Junior well enough to invite him to their rededication ceremony. Furthermore, how could he mistake her name for Daffodil? What kind of parents would name their kid that? "Don't lie to me! Neither one of you is going anywhere until you explain yourselves!"

The two children looked at their feet. "You first," Toadette mouthed to Junior.

"Princess…Auntie Daffodil, Kamek told me that King Dad was getting sick because Mama Peach was going to get married, so I came to stop it but…when I got here Toadette told me that nobody was getting married and I was really hungry so I stayed for cake. King Dad doesn't know I'm here, so I'm already in trouble and you don't need to punish me again."

Daisy stopped to ponder what Junior had said. Her theory was correct; Bowser really was in love with Peachy! She had no idea how the Koopas had gotten the idea that Peach was getting married, but she was satisfied in knowing that she was right, as usual.

"Please Princess Daisy, please don't tell on me. He came out of the bushes and was dirty and starving. I couldn't leave him outside, I just couldn't! Besides, you know how sad Princess Peach has been. I thought that maybe if she saw Junior, she'd remember how King Bowser always comes by to cheer her up!"

Daisy immediately stopped her musings. "Wait just a minute. What do you mean 'always comes by to cheer her up'?"

"Well, you know, like the night he took her into the sky to see shooting stars, and the weekend she was on his council, and you were there the day they all had a picnic. Maybe everybody else doesn't notice, but Her Highness always returns super happy every time she's been out with the Koopa King. She tries to keep it a secret, but I can always tell."

Daisy sat in stunned silence. Was Toadette saying what Daisy thought she was saying? Of course, when she thought about it logically, it all made sense. Peach and Mario were never a couple; Peach really was "saving all her love for the Koopa King."

"But now King Dad is sick because he misses Mama Peach, so I think she has to go cheer him up this time!"

"So you're saying that Peachy and Bowser are…in love? With each other?" Daisy asked, disbelieving her own ears.

"Yes, yes!" the children cried in unison. Adults could be so slow!

_So, Bowser is sad because he misses Peach and…Peachy is sad because…_

"Oh my Stars, we've got to do something right away!" Daisy cried. She had no idea why she felt this sudden urgency, but she took both children by the hand and quickly marched to Peach's room.

Inside her room, Peach gazed at herself in the mirror as she pinned her large blue tourmaline brooch to her blue gown. The bridesmaid's dress was serving as a constant, wearable reminder of her complete lack of romantic prospects.

She sighed heavily and felt like crying again. _I can't cry anymore, it won't do any good. I must be strong._

Suddenly, Daisy interrupted her thoughts as she came charging in, dragging Toadette and Junior by her side. "Peachy!"

"Daisy, what's going on? Junior, what are you doing here? What is this?"

Daisy nudged the Koopaling forward. "Mama Peach! King Dad is sick! He's really sad and he misses you."

Peach huffed in indignation. Was this Bowser's plan, to play dirty political games and then sent his youngest in to do the sweet-talking? _How dare he!_

Peach shook her head, "I'm sorry Junior, your daddy said he didn't want to be my friend any more. I don't think he would like it very much if I came to the castle."

Toadette stepped forward, "But Princess, everyone in the Darklands thought you were getting married to Mario! Now that they know it isn't true, I'm sure everything will be okay!"

"Please…I know what they thought. It shouldn't have mattered whether I was getting married or not, it's nobody else's business! I really don't want to talk about this so if you could all just…leave…"

As the defeated children stared at Peach with helpless faces, Daisy stepped forward and put her hands on her hips. "Peachy, we always talked about this. What's always the root cause of any problem in romantic movies?"

"Um, miscommunication, why?"

"Do you remember when we'd promise each other that we'd never be so silly? You're being that silly right now. Who cares whose business it is? Do you honestly want to sit and watch a ceremony about love and marriage while the guy who loves you is feeling miserable because he thinks he's lost you forever?"

Peach bit her lip in surprise and frustration. She did not know whether to agree with Daisy or to be angry with her for butting into her personal business. Was Daisy really suggesting that she pursue a romantic relationship with Bowser, after all of the horrible things that he had said and done? "You don't understand…"

"You know what I understand? I understand that you need to get out of here right now; go on, go. I'm not saying you have to marry the guy, but I am saying that you at least owe him an explanation, if only because it's totally unethical to leave someone in unnecessary misery.

Peach stood with her mouth gaping. Did she just get an ethics lesson from _Daisy?! _She looked down at her clasped hands and suddenly had a powerful impulse. She felt like her very soul was whispering to her and she knew what she had to do.

"You're right," she started. "You're all right about everything. I behaved like an undignified fool and I should rectify the situation as soon as possible. I'm…I'm going to go now. I don't know how I'm going to get there but…I just need to go."

Toadette smiled, "Before you go Princess, you need your four things!" She thrust Buzzy into Peach's arms. "There's something old."

Junior grabbed his handmade Star Rod from her nightstand and shouted, "Something new!"

Daisy removed a floral comb from her hair and gently placed it into Peach's freshly styled hair. "Something borrowed and…" Everyone looked at Peach's dress. Alright Peachy, you're good to go; get the heck out of here!"

No sooner had Daisy spoken the words than Peach dashed out the door towards the entrance of the castle and the dark forest ahead.

* * *

Unfazed by the bustling Mushrooms around him, Mario took another sip of sparkling punch and looked around. There were beautiful streamers, romantic lights and candles, fragrant flowers, and a pristine white altar.

Mario sighed; this was supposed to be for him. It was intended for he and his fiancée, so he could finally marry the girl of his dreams. Mama had been disappointed, to say the least. She broke down sobbing on the telephone when she heard the news.

His "guys night out" with Luigi had not helped at all. Luigi first tried to take Mario to a nice pasta place; unfortunately, Mario had no appetite. Next, Luigi wanted to go play mini-golf; the whole time Mario could only think about his date with Pauline. After that, Luigi suggested a movie: a foreign film that only he would enjoy. As luck would have it, the lovely Pauline actually had a cameo in the movie, so Mario got to see his absent darling looming large on the big screen.

He watched dolefully as some of the elderly guests began to arrive. "Hello Mr. Mario, can I freshen up your drink?" asked one of the Mushroom servant girls cheerfully. Mario shook his head in response.

"Why the long face, you delicious hunk of cheese?" asked a voice from below. Mario looked down to see a cute little white mouser in a red mask and heels. "I heard about your little break-up through the grapevine and since I was in the area, I decided to stop by and chat a little; only…I certainly didn't expect you to look so glum!"

Mario sighed again. It was nice to see the face of an old friend; however, he wasn't sure anything could cheer him up at the moment.

"Well, I wouldn't normally do this; I'm not the type to share, but it looks like you could use a little boost," Ms. Mowz said, flipping open her cell phone.

Ms. Mowz called her good friend from Rougeport, Goombella, to aid in consoling the plumber. Goombella, who was interviewing Kolorado in Koopa Village for her master's thesis, first called Vivian, and then went next door and knocked on Bombette's door. While Vivian traveled through the shadows of Twilight Town, Bombette called Goombaria in the Goomba Villiage.

Vivian first arrived at Madame Flurrie's house in Boggly Woods and told her the news. With a satisfied smirk, the great air spirit posted to her followers on her favorite micro-blogging site before heading out the door with Vivian.

Within an hour, female admirers surrounded Mario, cooing and consoling him with kind words and cuddles. Mario melted with all the praise and attention. Maybe they were right; maybe Pauline was a very silly girl for leaving him. At least he knew that he never had to be alone and there were still plenty of adventures to be had. As the ceremony began, he was already back to his old self, telling stories and laughing along with his entourage of devotees.

* * *

Bowser trudged through the forest, ripping branches from their trees to clear a pat with his mighty claws. Crossing the forest had been harder than he thought. I _gotta be faster; I gotta stop this thing before it goes too far. _

He stepped into a patch of mud next to a creek and sunk into the ground up to his knee. He roared angrily and forcibly pulled his leg out of the muck. He silently cursed himself for wrecking the Clown Car. _If I had the dang Clown Car, I'd already be there by now!_

The foliage was most dense on the Darklandian side of the forest due to the high mineral content of Darklandian soil. Bowser knew if he could just get though this part of the forest, the rest of the trip would be much easier. _C'mon Peach, wait for me. Don't do anything you're gonna regret._

Bowser thought about all of his own regrets. _I should have told her that I loved her right away, that way there'd be no question. _But then he thought that might have only scared her away. _I should have killed that plumber when I had the chance. _Then Bowser thought about how unhappy Peach would have been if he had.

Bowser shook his head; he told himself that he was not sure what he could have done to prevent this situation. Instantly, a nearby branch that was blocking his path slipped from his grasp and slapped him across the face, leaving a series of tin scratches across his snout. He initially snapped the branch in anger, and then he sighed and decided to start being honest with himself. _I shouldn't have yelled at her; I should have showed her why I was…why I am the better man. I need to… _He growled. _I need to tell her that I'm…sorry._

Bowser paused for a brief moment as he heard noise in the distance. He heard the sound of wedding bells coming from the west. "No…" he muttered. _It can't be! I'm too late? No, no, no, this isn't happening; this isn't how it's supposed to work! _Bowser stamped his feet in immense anger. The deed was done and now Peach was gone, lost to him forever. He never even had the chance to make his plea! _How could this happen? Everything is ruined! _

The more Bowser thought about it, the angrier he became until he began losing control of his consciousness. His body shook violently and his vision clouded over in shades of red and black.

* * *

Meanwhile, Peach ran through the lighter end of the forest as quickly as she could. She had already lost both heels at some point in the forest. Sweat beaded on her face and smeared her makeup as she ran. Breathing heavily, she jumped over logs and splashed though brooks with the light footed elegance of a deer.

Branches reached out to scratch her face and snag her hair and clothing. Her beautiful bridesmaid's dress now sported several rips and tears and shimmering strands of hair hung like delicate streamers from the branches that marked her path. Peach rationalized that she never liked the blue gown much anyway.

She could hear the bells chiming in the distance as the golden afternoon sun filtered though the trees. She hoped nobody would be too offended that she had not attended the ceremony. Suddenly, she heard a frightful roar from deeper into the forest. It sounded otherworldly and demonic; she shuttered just from hearing it. _Was that…Bowser?_

Peach attempted to run faster than ever. Her calves were burning in complaint and her newly recovered ankle was unused to this sort of strain. She stubbed her toe and tripped over an exposed root in the ground. She fell straight into a puddle of dirt and mud and skinned her elbow. She tried not to let the pain get to her as she picked herself out of the mud and continued towards the source of the thumping and bloodcurdling roars, which were coming ever closer.

Eventually, she spotted several trees that appeared to have suffered sudden death due to frost damage. Several trees appeared to have been frozen solid and then shattered, while others looked to have been cut in half by a single swipe.

Peach trembled in fear; what sort of monster was doing this to the forest? She heard another screeching roar from close behind her. She whipped around and stepped into a clearing to find a gruesomely transformed Giga Bowser. The air around him was cold as wintry death and everything about the enlarged Koopa was a thousand times more menacing than before. His horns were longer, his spikes were sharper, his skin looked thicker with a deathly gray sheen, and there seemed to be no trace of sentient thought in his blazing red eyes. Everything about the Koopa who once loved her was cloaked in an aura of murderous hatred.

Giga Bowser turned his attention towards the fair-haired maiden in blue. He let out another anguished roar, threw his head back, and released a jet of fire. Peach backed away slowly as the brutal monster stomped towards her. She knew she could not trust this Bowser; there was no kindness in his eyes.

"Please," she whispered, stepping backwards. Giga Bowser continued to advance upon her, making it clear that he intended her great harm.

_What happened to him; this is all wrong. What happened to the Bowser I used to know, the Bowser who warmed me by the fireplace, the Bowser who took me to bazaar to buy presents for his children, the Bowser who…loved me. The Bowser I…"_

Peach looked down as she realized she had her own kind of love for the Bowser she used to know. When she tried to back away further, she fell back over a frozen stump and landed hard on the icy ground. The Giga Bowser approached quickly and was nearly upon her. It was too late for her to get up and start running; with his superior size Peach knew that even if she could out-speed him, he would outlast her. She would not want to lure him into her kingdom to cause destruction.

Tears rolled down Peach's cheeks; she felt sure that her game was over. "Please, please, please," she cried. She hugged Buzzy tightly and placed her hand upon the base of Junior's Star Rod. Right before Giga Bowser was about to scoop up the princess in his ferocious claw, she screamed, "I wish for the Bowser that I love to come back!"

A rose-colored wave of magic disrupted the luminous aether of the world, the very fabric of which waved and undulated to accommodate the resulting blast of energy unleashed from the Star Rod. Peach's body began to shudder and glow as she floated up to meet the gaze of the Giga Bowser. A surge of magically charged aether rushed forth and blasted the Koopa King, restoring him to his original form. In recoil, the small crystal in the wand and Peach's large tourmaline brooch shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.

As the magic dispersed and the aether settled back into its rightful position, Peach steadied herself on a rock, breathing heavily and nearly collapsing. On the ground a few hundred feet away was Bowser, who did not appear to be moving or breathing. _Oh Stars, please don't tell me, is he…_

Peach hobbled over to his limp body and collapsed by his side. She snuggled herself under his arm and kissed him lightly on the snout. She wept softly into his carapace until she fell unconscious, exhausted by her exertion of power.

The royal couple remained unconscious in the clearing on the forest floor as water dripped from the thawing trees. Birds chirped happily, blissfully unaware of Bowser and Peach's presence.

Bowser awoke first, some forty-five minutes later. He opened his eyes to the swiftly setting sun and found Peach cuddled by his side. She was muddied, bloodied, and still beautiful to him.

_Peach…_ He immediately remembered everything that had happened while he was still conscious and himself. He checked her hand. _No wedding ring_. His spirits rose. Had she run away to be with him? He looked at her dress; in addition to being ripped to shreds, it was also blue! _ What's going on here? Maybe…maybe she really was telling the truth about not getting married._

Bowser felt awful; he felt like all of this had happened because he had not trusted Peach. He whispered softly in her ear, "I'm sorry Peach. This is all my fault…"

A smile played on her rosy lips as she muttered in reply, "I know."

Bowser's eyes widened in surprise; she was awake! He sat upright. "Peach, you're awake?"

Peach sat up groggily; her head felt awful. "Shh, it was nicer when you were whispering. Just…come back down here so we can talk, I don't feel well enough to sit up."

Bowser leaned back down so Peach could more comfortably rest hear head against his chest. "I really am sorry; I was…I was a big jerk."

Peach sighed, "I'm sorry too. I was being stubborn and it wasn't right."

"So now what?"

"I don't know; I think we're stuck in this forest for a little while until we're both rested so let's just…talk."

"Okay."

"Look a shooting star," Peach said weakly, pointing up at the twilit sky. "Shall we make a wish?"

"I'm alone in the forest holding you, Peach, and you're not married to Mario. I don't know what else to wish for."

"Bowser…" Peach started. Not wanting to get into an awkward conversation while she did not have the ability to walk away, she changed the subject. "It's getting dark, do you think we're in any danger being in this forest at night?"

Bowser wrapped both his arms around her and buried his snout in her hair, "As long as you're with me, you'll never be in any danger. I think it's safe to say that I'm the scariest thing in this forest."

Instead of merely being comforted by his embrace, Peach turned to return it. "But back there…you transformed into this…beast…"

Bowser shook his head. "I don't know what happened, but whatever that was, it wasn't me. But you…you stopped it somehow."

"I don't know how I did it; what if this happens again?"

"It won't," called a voice. Kamek suddenly appeared in the clearing. "My apologies, Lord; Kammy was kind enough to let me out of my cell so I may come find you. Would the two of you like to return to the His Highness' castle so that we may discuss this over a cup of chai?"

The royals nodded affirmatively and were summarily teleported to the Darklandian Castle. After each royal had showered and received medical attention for his or her wounds, the trio reunited for discussion.

"So then, you're saying that Bowser's destructive force cannot be unleashed as long as…"

"Correct, as long as what you said and felt in the forest remains true, Bowser's identity remains attached to this world and he cannot be possessed by Giga Bowser."

"What did she say in the forest?" demanded Bowser.

"Kamek, who exactly is Giga Bowser?" Peach asked.

"It's hard to say exactly. In some regards, it is true that Giga Bowser is a facet of Lord Bowser's personality; an integral part of his soul and being."

"That's great, now what did Peach say to make it stop?"

"So, Giga Bowser is Bowser?"

"Lord Bowser, as you know, is so much more than any single facet of his personality, just like anybody else. We all have undesirable parts of our being; very often, we rely on the care and support of others to keep those parts in check."

"Kamek! We are done talking about this! I'm the king; there's no part of me that's undesirable! Now that we've got that cleared up, I'm still waiting on an answer to my previous question, which I will now restate. What did Peach say in the dumb forest?"

Kamek smiled brightly, "Well, I think this is the part of the conversation where I take my leave. I'll be in the dungeon until His Highness remembers to give me an official pardon. Princess, if I may ask you to remind him sooner than later, I would be forever thankful. Have fun!"

Peach smiled hesitantly as Kamek exited the room. Peach had meant what she said in the forest, but she was not quite sure she was ready to confess her feelings to Bowser. After all, she was not even entirely sure what they meant just yet.

"Well?"

"Um, just…give me a minute. It's hard to articulate and I don't want to say the wrong thing."

"Just say it. If you can say it in a forest, you can say it in a castle."

"Well, the context is different."

"Do you want me to pretend to be big and scary again?"

"No," she said firmly. She drew in a big breath and exhaled. "Alright, I guess, I was just thinking about all of the great things we've done together, how nice you always are to me, and when you had transformed…I thought about how much I missed the real you."

"So you said you missed me?" Bowser asked, excited to know that she liked him enough to care when he was not around her.

"Something like that, I mean not really. I said…I mean I felt like…I--I love that part of you. And I don't want it to change."

Bowser stood silent for a moment. He could not believe what he had heard. She…loved him? "Peach…"

"Don't…please don't take it the wrong way. But it's true."

Bowser smiled in pure bliss. "I gotta show you something," he said. He grabbed Buzzy off the table next to them. "Open up, you dumb thing." Buzzy obediently opened his shell and revealed a ring even larger and more fabulous than the one in Chantoad's. "You probably don't remember, but when we were young, we were supposed to get married."

"Bowser…please…I asked you not to take it the wrong way."

Bowser shook his head, "I'm not asking you to marry me, unless you're saying yes. I'm just asking you to, I dunno, know that I still love you and I always have…and I always will."

Peach stared at him in silence and he continued, "I never felt like I had a chance but I always knew I had to try, so I made the biggest, baddest kingdom in the world and filled it full of smart and loyal followers; I had eight tough kids and…wait a second." Bowser suddenly stood up from his chair. "Where's Junior?" he asked, fearing that his youngest was still lost in the forest.

Kammy entered the room, right on cue. She smirked and said, "I have received word from Prince Bowser Junior. He would like to inform you that a servant of the Mushroom Kingdom has kidnapped him. He claims that this servant demands a five coin raise in _Junior's _weekly allowance, a year's supply of Gummy Yoshis, an underground tunnel between the Mushroom Castle and the Darklandian Palace, and full exemption from any punishment for either party."

Bowser slapped his palm to his face, "Well, what are you waiting for, Hag? Get the Monty Moles on the horn and start building that tunnel! Meanwhile, see if you can talk her down on the year's supply of Gummy Yoshis; those things are bad for your health!"

"Yes, Sire."

Bowser grinned at Peach who threw her arms around him in embrace. She was so happy that her Bowser was back to his humorous self.

Bowser melted in the warmth of Peach's arms. He wanted to tell her all over again how much he loved her, it felt good to say and even better to hear; but he knew better than to overuse a powerful word like "love", so instead he chanced a peck on the cheek and was exhilarated to receive one in return.

The touching scene moved even Twink up in Star Haven. "Alright," he admitted to Geno, "You were right."

"Of course I was; you saw them at odds with one another, but I saw them when they were working together. They've got powerful energy, those two. They're going to make a great King and Queen together."

"Wait, they're going to rule together some day? How do you know that?" Twink demanded.

"Well, we can't know for sure but…would you care to make a bet?"

* * *

A few days later, Toadette and Junior walked through that friendship gardens in Koopa Park, fingers laced, talking about how mean Toadsworth was for forbidding Junior from staying at the castle.

"I'm sorry you have to sleep outside until your dad agrees to build the tunnel," Toadette said.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault. Old people are always like that; it's always rules, rules, rules!"

"Ooh, Junior, look at that!" cried Toadette. Right between Peach's willowy tree with pink blooms and Bowser's shrub with the flaming flowers, a new bush was starting to grow. This bush had lovely dark leaves on elegant curled tendrils. It bore brilliant red flowers with golden pollen-covered stamens. Junior marched over to it, deftly plucked the biggest and most impressive flower right off the bush, and the handed it to his lovely girlfriend. After all, that's what a gentleman was supposed to do!

Toadette gasped, "Junior! You're not supposed to pick the flowers in here; they're symbolic!"

Junior smiled and tucked the flower into her hair, "I'm symbolic," he asserted, "so I can pick whatever I want!" He leaned over and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek. "Tag, you're it!"

Toadette blushed furiously, and then gave chase to her reckless prince charming. She had to admit; she had never had this much fun before in her whole life.


End file.
